The Bodysnatcher
by coldqueen
Summary: Five of the Titans went on a small vacation, and when they returned, nothing was the same. Namely, Slade's back, Jinx might be bad again, and Superboy is dropping by! Flinx
1. Happy Days

Yay! A new story! I always love writing new stories, mostly because the first chapter of a fic always gets the most reviews, usually. I've been lucky enough to have a few fics that got a large amount of reviews for a good deal of the chapters, but those were both anime, so it's expected.

So, for those of you who've read the Teen Titan fic I just finished, _A Strange New Déjà Vu_, you'll have known this was coming. This is a different pairing, or at least, focus-pairing, than that one, so be warned.

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**Title**: The Body-Snatcher 

**Summary**: When the Titan Boys go out and play, the Titan girls decide they get a turn too. What happens when jealousy and anger causes the situation to flare out of control, resulting in missing Titans, and in misunderstandings?

**Couples**: MAINLY Kid Flash/Jinx, Starfire/Robin, Raven/Beast Boy, and others...

**A/N**: There will be hints of other pairings, featuring the people above, but be aware, that those couples you see will not stay for long. I will feature some Titans not included in the cartoon or the comic, so be aware. For those of you who know who I use, YAY! For those who don't, feel free to PM me and ask.

Also, this is partly based on the cover for _Teen Titans Go_ Issue 35. Y'all know the one I'm talking about. The one where the boys are all agape at the wonder and beauty of Wonder Girl. While we know what went down now, at the time this idea popped up, I was foreseeing major crushing on the boys' part. So...that should explain how this insane idea came to me.

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**Chapter One: Happy Days**

In every young girl's life, there comes a time. A time when said girl looks at her faithful boyfriend and realizes he is nothing but a slimy ball of waste with a roving eye and a mind for cheating. Most girls then assume that said bastard wants to cheat because something is wrong with them. Are they too skinny? Too fat? Unattractive? Dumb? Pick a reason, and a normal girl can build a whole case for why her boyfriend is right to move on, and why she is the problem.

No one could ever claim that the Teen Titan girls were normal. Three weeks, two days, and seven hours into the World Tour of the Teen Titans, four of the Titan girls were glaring at the screen of the large television in Titan Tower, and were doing the most sensible thing of plotting dark and dirty revenge for their smiling, maybe cheating, boyfriends.

Since the funding for the Titans came from a certain company, and said company liked good publicity, they'd handpicked five Titans to go on a whirlwind press tour, using the recent defeat of a large criminal organization, namely the Brotherhood of Evil, to parlay a rise in stock price. Not surprisingly, the company had chosen five of the most "human" and "normal" looking Titans to go. All of them tan and smiling, lined up behind the publicist; Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl, sidekicks of famous heroes, well-known by the world before their indoctrination as Titans.

"And not a black person among them," Bumblebee scowled, "what a coincidence."

Jinx, Raven, and Starfire turned to stare at Bumblebee. "And?" They asked in sync.

"I'm just saying, it's suspicious."

"Yeah, and them not including the alien, the half-demon, or even me, the bad luck witch isn't?"

Starfire spoke next, seeking to make light of the situation. "I'm sure they had a good reason for choosing who they did."

Raven scoffed. "Yeah, sure, and the fact that they didn't even think of just using the original five Teen Titans is completely excusable."

The teen girls watched as Wonder Girl wrapped her arms around her "boys", kissing each of them on the cheek for the cameras, causing all four boys to blush and laugh. The tabloids were having a lot of fun, implying relationships and crushes amongst the five, not to mention causing much strife for the boys' real girlfriends, not that any of the boys realized it, so caught up in the tour that they were. Jinx scowled. Kid Flash, fastest kid alive, could have visited her any number of times while on this tour, taking only seconds for him to traveled around the world. Did he? No; instead he spent his spare time "training" with the other Titans, and "solving crimes" that they encountered. She turned good for him, and he does this? Let's just say that anger doesn't quite cover it.

It's true that not all of the male Titans were on the tour. However, in a fit of testosterone bonding, the male Titans left in the Tower, Cyborg and Beast Boy had decided to skip over to East Titan Tower to stay with Mas y Menos. That left the girl Titans with the first Titan Tower to station out of. Not that they actually were doing anything lately. Robin, the head of the Titans, usually was more proactive and sent them out doing things. However, with him gone, the girls found themselves in "clean-up" mode. They went out, stopped rampaging bad guys, got patted on the head, and went home to sulk. Personally, Jinx was tired of this.

She stood and sent a hex bolt into the television, causing it to short out and the picture to disappear. "I'm tired of us sulking and sitting around like little bitches. We are not weak like this."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sulking. I've no reason to sulk."

Jinx grinned. "Yeah? Then why are you down here with us?"

"You were all quite depressed and I felt I might be able to stand contact with you all at this time." Raven shrugged and stood. "Now that I can feel your emotions bolstering, I'll return to my room and my isolation."

Jinx sighed and pulled Raven back down to her seat by the hood of her cape. "Stop that. I've an idea."

"Uh-oh," Bumblebee muttered while she ate a sixth chocolate bar. She too, had no real reason to be down. Maybe it was a girl thing? Your friends are depressed, so you must be as well?

"No uh-oh, this is a good idea!"

Starfire clapped and smiled though everyone could tell it was forced. "Tell us, my friend, what is your idea?"

Jinx smiled, and pure evil danced in her eyes. "Well, since we're all fed up with being lazy and hating the Wonder Bitch, I'm thinking we go out and do something that we're not allowed to do when the boys are home."

The trio of girls before her cowered and their eyes widened. Together, they dared to ask just what was on Jinx's evil mind. "What?"

"We're going wild."

Jinx jumped over the couch and marched upstairs. Just before she got out of sight, she leaned back in and grinned, happier than she had been for three weeks, two days, and seven hours, the exact amount of time since Kid Flash had decided to spend the rest of the month ogling the newest female Titan. "Get up, get dressed. We're going dancing." She started up then turned back one more time. "And we might just do a little crime-solving while we're at it."

The trio on the couch watched as the pink-haired Titan flounced out of sight, and then they turned back to each other. "I am slightly scared, my friends." Starfire admitted.

Bumblebee grinned. "Don't be. Jinx has only one thing on her mind right now, and it doesn't involve any scary plots. She's going to try and make her boy toy jealous."

"Kid Flash?" Raven ventured.

"Oh yeah. See, Kid Flash is a flirt. Not that Jinx minds, because honestly, she's a bit of a flirt too. Here's the thing though, until now, Kid Flash, for all his flirting, still came home to her."

"Kid Flash has not been here since the publicity tour started," Starfire noted as she stood and started towards the stairs.

Bumblebee grinned and pointed her finger in the air. "Exactly."

Raven stood and followed Starfire out, pausing to stare at Bumblebee thoughtfully. "How do you know this? I thought you and Jinx weren't on the best of terms."

The tall dark Titan stood, floating over the couch before settling on the ground to walk up the stairs with Raven. "At first, we weren't. Then just before this started, we hashed it out. I was a spy and a traitor to H.I.V.E., but now so is she. We found a common ground."

Raven gave a small smile. "Gives us hope that maybe we can find common grounds with other such enemies."

"Jinx isn't so bad. She'd never known anything but H.I.V.E. She didn't have a choice like most of us do."

Raven nodded and sighed as she reached her door. "What does one wear to 'go wild'?"

Bumblebee grinned. "Something short and shimmery."

"I don't do shimmery."

"Then do short."

"I wear a leotard. How much shorter can I go?"

"...that's a good point. You'll think of something," Bumblebee gave her a thumbs-up as she strode into her temporary room. "I have faith in you."

Raven watched as her friend disappeared from sight, and turned to go into her own room. She'd admit it to herself that even she was a bit apprehensive about this night. She rarely spent time with her friends, even less time not fighting crime. Even less time than that was she with just her friends that were girls. Raven sighed and began to cycle through her closet of leotards, looking for something that she could wear that was not her uniform. She couldn't do short, and she wouldn't do shimmery, but she could and would do something civilian.

Just one floor above, Jinx let herself into her own room. Inside, it was just a bit chaos, with clothes laying all about, her own and Kid Flash's. It would surprise some people outside of the Titans to know that they shared a room, but truly it was strictly platonic. They'd been dating for several months now, and Kid Flash so rarely stayed in one place that he found it easier to just leave his stuff in her room, wherever her room might be.

Picking up her pink cell phone where it lay on her dresser, she checked for voice messages and found none. Sighing, she sank onto her bed and fought not to pout. Jinx wasn't naturally a dark person, preferring to be out and about having fun than to sulking around and moping over some boy. Kid Flash was nice, that was true; handsome, smart, witty, and who would be fool enough to truly believe that he'd be content with staying with a pale, pink-haired witch?

Okay, so she had been the fool.

Standing up, Jinx shook off her blues and reached down for a glittery shift of silver. It was short, it was shimmery, and on her long and skinny figure, it looked great. Resolve straightened her spine and made her nonchalantly throw the cell phone over her shoulder. Kid Flash didn't have the balls to break up with her in person, or hell, even by phone? Fine. She didn't need him. She'd find herself another fish in the sea, someone to entertain her.

Just down the hall from Jinx, who even now was amping herself up by cursing Kid Flash, Starfire was looking at the picture on her bedside. It was taken earlier this year, when Starfire and Robin and her fellow Titans had been in Japan. Taken just after Starfire and Robin had shared their first kiss, they were both blushing and looking away from each other. Starfire had believed that it would be the beginning of a new relationship between them. Instead, after a few dates and some very awkward moments, it seemed they had come to an impasse, neither sure how to move past it. Robin wasn't comfortable dating another member of his team, yet he had feelings for her, it was clear. Starfire wasn't sure how to help him move past it, so she stayed silent.

Now, here she was facing video of him being kissed by another woman, a team member no less, and he didn't look very awkward with her. Maybe it was because Starfire was alien? Did he not find her attractive anymore?

She wasn't sure, but she didn't like the feeling this situation was causing in her. All the gloriousness of life that Starfire usually reveled in had faded, leaving behind a cranky and somewhat bitchy alien princess with attitude. (Secretly, this was the reason Beast Boy and Cyborg had left. The sight of not one, but two women in very "scorned" mode had sent them packing in just the first week of the month).

Starfire sighed and turned to look through her clothing. She was determined to at least try and have some fun tonight. It was the least she could do for her friends.

Once the four women had reunited in the front hall, the spirit of the night lifted almost immediately. Just the thought of getting out and having fun was enough to make things so much lighter. Jinx smiled and giggled through the evening, Starfire managed to smile and even dance with someone; whereas Bumblebee was a social butterfly, flying all over and flirting with every single, hot man in attendance. Shocking enough, even Raven managed a smile.

There are some who think that that was the night that started the entire plot. Then again, there are some that think the plot didn't form until the last minute, in the Titan girls' attempt to get some good out of the entire thing. However, truth was that the plot started a few nights into the girls' week of fun, purely circumstantial. Two weeks later, however, with the Titan girls missing, the police baffled, and the Titan World Tour over, no one was quite sure what happened, least of all why.


	2. Good Times

I got a great response to my first chapter of this, which pleased me very much. Thank you for all the reviews! They were very "inspirational". As in, they made me write the next chapter very quickly.

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**Chapter Two: Good Times

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**

_Two weeks later_

After a whirlwind tour of the world, which included countless parties, endless questions, and mindless crime solving, the five Teen Titans found themselves almost gleeful to be on their way home. They all had their varying reasons, but the first and foremost reason was homesickness. For an entire month, almost their entire schedule had been logged and handed out in triplicate, with the publicist, a horrid woman named Eva, guiding them from spot to spot. Even the hero-work in the various countries had been scheduled! In the end, the only thing the five of them had been left to do alone was sleep!

As usual with teenagers, however, there were also other reasons to be happy to be out from an adult's thumb.

The Atlantian, having been mobbed seven times by screaming fangirls, almost drowned five times when the publicist forgot to schedule him some alone time with water, lost his luggage two times, and having encountered a giant piranha in Africa that bit off half of his hair when it'd been aiming for his head; well, he was just happy to be back in familiar waters, so to speak. However, even his motives weren't completely altruistic. The fact was, Steel City was a lot closer to Atlantis, and a certain redheaded water-breathing girl, than say...Paris...was.

The Girl-Amazon, now fully integrated into society in all its modern wonders (Television! Radio! Photo! TABLOID!) was just thankful to be heading back to Themiscyra, where no photographers would be there to snap many, many pictures of her to be splashed across magazines world-wide. Who knew that being an Amazon was a natural aphrodisiac?

Speedy knew it, that was for sure. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, his rampant ogling of fellow Titan Wondergirl was plastered the world over. His fangirls in Tokyo had become decidedly violent when he'd dared to flirt with said Amazon in public. He still couldn't find his right boot, and Cyborg had gleefully told him over the phone that it was currently on EBay, with a price tag of eleven hundred. That kind of price made a boy feel special.

The Boy Wonder and the Fastest Boy on Earth were both quite anxious to touch ground, not the least because of the idiotic bet they'd made with each other only a week into the sojourn around the world. What idiotic bet, you might ask? No mention of that in Titan Tri-weekly, a magazine dedicated to bringing you all the latest teen hero gossip (Did you hear that Wondergirl wears no bra? Or that Raven has been seeing Robin romantically for a year and no one was the wiser? What about the rumor that Aqualad and Speedy were...gasp...dating?), with an emphasis on the absurd and completely ludicrous rumors whose origins remained to this day untraceable to anyone who tried. (The magazine also brought you villain gossip, including the most recent scandal, Jinx Goes Good, how does her boytoy Kyd Wykkid feel about it? Not to mention the clandestine meetings between Bumblebee and Mammoth, or the auction of Control Freak's collection of Starfire photos and action figures.)

Back to the point (the idiotic bet), said bet was spurred into action by the Boy Wonder, who even now doesn't trust the turncoat villain Jinx, and pointed out the strange sudden relationship between Kid Flash and her. Kid Flash, in typical male fashion, shot back with a blow below the belt to Robin, noting his own sudden relationship with Starfire (and he even made "whipped" noises while he did it). Between the two of them, a room of reporters, and the smirks of Aqualad and Speedy, the bet was born. Which of them could hold out not speaking to their respective girlfriends for the longest? In the entirety of the month, neither had succumbed to their urges and talked or even mentioned their girlfriends. It was slowly, but surely, killing both of them.

For his part, Kid Flash did slightly bow to his urges. In the dead of night, after an exhaustive day of going back and forth and answering questions and posing with babies, when the other four heroes were fast asleep in their beds, even Robin the nightstalker, Kid Flash had snuck out of the rooms they shared and sped around the world, seeking to at least see his girlfriend, if not speak to her. According to the bet, any communication wasn't allowed. By matter of honor, he couldn't break the bet. He so wasn't weaker than a boy named after a bird.

Given the time difference, every time he did arrive in Jump **C**ity, Jinx wasn't asleep, but rather was out and about, solving crime, being badass, and generally acting as if she didn't miss him at all. Since he'd fully expected her to be keening, or at least missing him, seeing her so nonchalant about his incommunicado ways made him very forlorn. Forlorn enough that after seven nights of not sleeping, and for lack of a better word, stalking her when his compatriots slept away in some European hotel, he did in fact not see her, not talk to her, and not message her in any way. Kid figured that if she could go without seeing him so easily, then he also could go just as easily without seeing her.

If only it were that easy.

When he finally began to sleep away the nights, she still invaded his senses, be it through dreams. He dreamt of the first time he'd seen her, and not in the museum robbery attempt either. When he'd agreed to help protect the Titans' city while they were fighting the Brotherhood of Evil, as the Titans East were, he'd been briefed on the regularly appearing villains, ones not so bad as to warrant a Brotherhood of Evil membership, but bad enough to be watched out for. (We all remember the Control Freak fiasco).

Jinx had been one of them. Long after the other four Titans had removed themselves to their rooms to rest for their departure tomorrow, Cyborg, who like Kid didn't need as much sleep, told Kid Flash about Jinx. Maybe Cyborg had seen an interest in Kid that he recognized in himself, or maybe Cy just thought that someone should try and help her, since she wouldn't ever allow Cyborg close enough again to even think about trying. Whatever it was, that late night conversation made Kid Flash seek out Jinx, and with his own eyes he'd seen something that he'd only glimpsed in the photo of her.

In person, she was just as beautiful as on paper, but her eyes were more expressive than ever. Defiant, hurt, and strong, all at once, she'd attracted him. He recognized a bit of himself in her, and Kid Flash had always loved himself, so naturally, he felt that feeling begin to include her. Admittedly, she'd hurt his feelings in the beginning, turning him down and away, trying to pretend she wasn't interested too, trying to use him to bargain her way into the Brotherhood of Evil where he would be frozen solid, not to mention destroying the first rose he'd left her. All those things had just made him try harder.

Smiling, Kid Flash ignored the squabbles of Aqualad and Speedy behind him in the plane, and focused back on the present, putting away all the thoughts of his relationship with Jinx behind him, and focusing on how sweet it would be to be able to interact with her feisty self again.

"Quit grinning like an idiot, speedo."

Kid Flash grinned even broader and resisted the urge to kick Robin's seat in front of him. "How can you tell?"

"I can feel the rays of happiness coming off you."

"I guess that's a talent you got from Batman?"

"Ha ha."

"Okay, so, why did I have to fly again? I could be there by now!" Kid Flash pantomimed agony, his hand on his face, cradling his stomach as if in horrible agony. To add effect, he started to moan a little. Wondergirl, in the seat next to him, by now used to his antics, ignored him in favor of reading more of Cosmopolitan, something her sister Wonder Woman would surely not approve of once back on the island.

"The money wanted us to arrive en masse," Speedy said, dodging a slap by Aqualad before tapping the boy on the cheek with his quiver (and no, that's not a euphemism). "Makes a good photo op. Look at the beautiful heroes arriving on home soil after a long time away in conflict!" Speedy pretended to bat his eyes playfully, so caught up in his own act that he missed it when Aqualad picked up an arrow and broke it over Speedy's head. "Hey! That was my exploding fist arrow! Those are hard to make!"

Kid Flash ignored the fight between the two boys behind him (he'd grown to realize within the first few days that the two of them fought like cats and dogs all the time) (he'd also realized that that was probably why so many fangirls thought they were a couple). "So? I could've went ahead..."

"Made out with Jinx..." Robin interjected, but was ignored.

"...met with the Titans..."

"...made out with Jinx..."

"...caught up on the situation..."

"...made out with Jinx..."

"...and been at the airport in time to vibrate in and made it seem like I was the plane the whole time."

"You forgot to make out with Jinx."

This time he really did kick Robin's seat.

As Robin flew over the seat back and at Kid Flash (who immediately zoomed out of his way and caused Robin to bounce off the seat and into the wall), Wondergirl sighed and turned another page, letting out a quick giggle as she recognized the people in the pictures there in. For the first time in weeks, it was not of her and one of the male Titans around her. She finally understood why people paid attention to these silly books.

"Yeah, like you don't miss Starfire and wish you could kiss her and hug her and-..." Kid Flash added other colorful descriptions for what Robin wanted to do to Starfire, but the increasing babble-like baby talk he was using made it unintelligible. It infuriated Robin anyways.

Launching himself off the wall and into the closed-eyed miming kissing Kid Flash, they fell to the floor of the airplane cabin and began rolling around, throwing punches, if not with real meaning. If they really meant it, one or the other would most likely have been bleeding by now. As it was, this was a distraction, nothing more.

Eyeing the couple rolling around on the floor, and catching a glimpse of the two fighting behind her, Wondergirl remembered why she was rushing home, to get away from the insane males around her. She now realized why so many of the Amazons had said "good riddance" to the male specimen thousands of years ago.

"I doubt Starfire or Jinx will care that either of you returned," the Amazon said quietly as she studied the picture before her.

Instantly, both Kid Flash and Robin froze, glaring at her from the floor. Together, they asked, "And what does that mean?"

"It means they're too busy dancing with strange men that I do not know."

Scrambling to their feet, both boys, and the two behind them, looked over Wondergirl's shoulder and into the magazine she held.

There in, on a big two page spread, were various photos obviously taken at a nightclub of some sort. The headline at the top, in bright red letters all dazzled up with glitter read "Titans Gone Wild". It was an ominous sight.

The first picture was dated two weeks ago, and was a group shot of the four Titan girls, Jinx, Raven, Starfire, and Bumblebee. They looked amiable, civilian-dressed, and were relatively normal looking. The next picture was two nights later, and a bit different. For one, Jinx had her hair down and was sitting next to a very cute brunet with big blue eyes, big blue eyes that were gazing steadily at Jinx. She was blushing, playing coy (an act Kid Flash was well acquainted with).

Also in that picture was Starfire, for once not in her uniform. She was wearing a calf-length sheath of lilac, and looked decidedly different in it. She had her hair up, but was only really half in the picture. Rather, she was behind the group this time, speaking to what appeared to be an older teen, with dark blond hair and...red horns. Robin recognized him as a Titan trainee named Kid Devil, but hadn't realized the boy was so much older than himself. Maybe he wasn't young enough to be a Teen Titan, neh?

The next couple pictures grew progressively worse. In one, Raven appeared to be...flirting...with Kyd Wykkid. In another, Cheshire and Jinx performed what appeared to be a very lewd table dance. In yet another, Bumblebee made out with Herald...on top of Titan Tower. There was a large center photo taken a week ago of almost all the female Titans, but something was noticeably wrong with this one. Instead of partying, as almost all of the others had been, in this one they were fighting.

Jinx looked injured, or at the very least winded, and was being held by the brunet she'd been seen with in the second picture, a teen now identified in the caption as Superboy, and were floating above the fighting. Starfire and Raven were both in civvies, taking on an unseen aggressor. Bumblebee and Argent were both in the air, holding Cheshire by the arms as she strained to join the fight. In truth, it didn't seem as if they were truly fighting, not as Titans did. They looked to be trying to run. Robin could be wrong, the picture was taken in a dark and crowded place, but that was the definite feeling of the picture.

There was another headline at the bottom of the second page. This one was if possible more ominous that the one at the top of the first page. This one read, "Have you seen these Titans?"

Glancing at his friends, Robin nodded to himself. "I think it's time we got home and took care of business."

Speedy fought not to smirk. "Yeah, your girl is stepping out on you."

Aqualad smacked him upside his head. "Your's is, too!"

"I am not dating Cheshire."

"That's not what your voicemail says."

"Dude, how many times do I have to tell you, stay out of my VOICEMAIL!!!"


	3. Welcome Back Cotter

Ahhh, I've gotten so many reviews for this story. Makes a fanfic writer very happy. (gives readers cookies)

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**Chapter 3: Welcome Back Cotter

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**

The Boy Wonder was an analytical maniacal mystery manhandler, so within five minutes of landing in Jump City, he'd already devised a very large in scheme, yet very simple, plan of attack. First order of business, secure Titans Tower and contact Titans West to discover the status of their team. Second order, find and catalog all sources of information currently handy about the previous two weeks, and the recent disappearance. Third order, gain more information.

Robin hoped that by the time they achieved their second objective that it wouldn't be necessary to have more information. Truth was, that third option involved him calling in a favor he wasn't too happy to call in, more from the awkwardness of actually calling her, than the favor itself. Ex-girlfriends are a bitch, literally in this case.

Speaking of bitches, Wonder Girl, after her little presentation, flew the coop, literally. A handful of photos, a few question and answers, and she gave a small wave before taking to the air. Just for sake of being ornery, she did kiss Aqualad on the cheek before she went, sending up a gale questions, mostly concerning her romantic interests in the brunet Atlantian. For his part, he merely blushed a deep red and refused to comment.

In fact, he blushed so deep a red that his three friends wondered just what _was_ going down with the Amazon. Again, the lad refused to comment, even under the ribbing of his friends (and the not so gentle innuendos Speedy used to describe just what Wonder Girl likely could do with that whip of her's) (and it was not gentle, not at all).

Speedy, with a grin, sprinted past the other three Titans, and reached Titan Tower door before them, pushing the large, read oversized to a massive proportion, doors in and stepping into the dank dark of the foyer. Within seconds, the trio joined him there. Slowly, so as not to startle any might-be intruders, they studied the large open hall that predominated the first level. Other than a few closets, the garage, and the stairway that led to the underground dock, and to the upper levels, the entire floor was open. It was easy to see that there were no intruders, nor any clues, here.

Slowly, the four took in all six levels leading up to the top of the "T", finally reaching the main floor, the one that held the living quarters as well as the kitchen, dining area, and television room. The four of them stood there, taking in the disorderly "lived-in" television area, littered with girl magazines, nail polish, meditation candles, and slime from Starfire's pet. It was clear that the girls had been here recently, taking in the dates on the magazines. Also, the cake left out on the counter had only just begun to grow a weird blue fungus, so it couldn't have been more than three or four days since they'd last put it there.

Robin was weary of searching, and doubted that by this time they'd find any intruders or kidnappers lurking in shadows trying to take them as well. With a sigh, he sank down into the u-shaped couch and gestured for his friends to do the same.

"They're not here," he said as he stared despondently into space.

Speedy suppressed a grin and faked a depressed look. "Oh the horrors of not spending our time with four females who range from psychotically mellow to psychotically cheerful, with two former HIVE students in between. Now there's a sandwich I'd like to be the mayo on."

Kid Flash, having been frantically pacing at seven revolutions a second, smacked Speedy at 60 miles an hour, and finally stopped in front of them. "Where do we look next?"

"We don't," Robin started in his usual straight-to-the-point way, "now we contact Titans West and see what they now. While I do that, Kid, you finish searching the Tower. Speedy, I want you to go down and check all the vehicles, see if any are missing. Aqualad...you can make some coffee."

Speedy and Kid Flash left the room quickly, seeing as "Coffeelad" had an angry look on his face, one that said he didn't appreciate the lack of an assignment. Turning that stormy stare on Robin, he carefully minced his words. "You want _coffee_?"

Robin grinned as he walked to a communication terminal across the room. "Not really, I needed Kid Flash out of the room, and Speedy wouldn't be right for this."

Comfortable now that he realized that Robin just wanted some privacy to speak, and not to use the Underwater Wonder as his Batista. "Be right for what?"

"I need you to do a day run to Gotham City for me," Robin explained.

"Gotham? What's there?"

"Not what, who."

"Who's there?"

"None of your business."

Aqualad grinned and leaned against the console to speak to his friend. "If it's none of my business, then what am I doing there?"

"You're going to this address," Robin wrote an unknown address onto the outside of an envelope and slipped a note inside, "and putting this in the mailbox. This is just an option, but if it comes to it I want it open."

"Oooh, an option, how interesting...any more information you're not willing to impart, oh-fearless-leader?"

"Yeah, if you run into a man in black, don't tell him I sent you."

With a salute of webbed finger, Aqualad headed for the dock, happy to get back into familiar waters, even if he would have to go into heavily polluted waters of Gotham in the name of duty. By heavily polluted, it was clear, that Aqualad was referring to the glow-in-the-dark, tastes like twenty year old rum mixed with feces, and filled with chunks of sediment and rock...water.

Finally alone, Robin dialed up Steel City and waited while it rang. The silence of the living room struck him as disquieting, especially given that for the past three years, no matter where he was in the Tower, almost always another member of the Titans was there. Early morning, Raven could be found meditating near the wall of windows; during the day, when not fighting villainy, Cyborg and Beast Boy would be here playing games and pigging out (in BB's case, literally "pigging" out). Nights were spent in a plethora of activities, ranging from hanging out to watching movies to training. There usually had not been an hour when he'd not seen his friends, and he'd almost constantly heard them.

The past month had been a learning phase for him, making him realize that all the little quirks he'd learned to ignore in his friends, and even found endearing, were magnified threefold when he'd been forced into close contact with people, who though were friends, were not his best friends, as Raven, Starfire, BB, and Cy were. He'd been looking forward to coming home and returning to the normal routine. Instead, he was still out-of-sorts, adrift without an anchor. For someone with the obsessive compulsive tendencies like he himself had (courtesy of training at the hand of the OCD Spokesperson of the Night), it wasn't good, it wasn't good at all.

A small tick started at his eye as the line continued to beep, waiting for an answer. Finally, minutes later, Cyborg came on the line, panting a bit as he'd obviously rushed to the phone.

"Yo?"

"Cyborg." A clear concise statement, no betrayal of the tense emotions riding beneath the surface.

"Hey Robin! When'd you get back?"

"Just now. We heard the Titan girls have gone missing and decided to skip the Welcome Back ceremonies."

Cyborg snorted. "How come you get Welcome Back ceremonies? When we got back from beating the Brotherhood together, all we got was a muffin basket!"

"Yeah, well, I'm prettier than you."

"Psssht!" Cyborg's sound of incredulousness sprayed the camera with spittle, forcing him to wipe it off before continuing. "What do you need?"

"What do you know of the girls?"

"That they don't like being called girls."

Robin glared and ticked a little harder. "Other than that."

"They sent a weird message here about a week and a half ago. Bee said that she and the girls had uncovered some big sinister plot and that we might not hear from them for a while."

"How long has 'a while" been?"

"We got a call from Rae a couple days ago, but it was garbled and even my tech couldn't figure out what it said."

"It looks like they haven't been here for days, and the memory backs have been wiped clean. Do you think you could come here and try to get something?"

Cy shook his head. "I'm in the middle of a big throw-down here myself. I only just caught your call before heading out again. If you want I can use the remote access to try and scrape something together."

Robin nodded and pressed a few buttons to lower the Tower firewalls. "Do what you can."

A series of 0's and 1's scrolled down across the screen, and Robin watched as Cyborg started to work at the keyboard on the other side in intense concentration. Sighing, he rose to make some coffee and grab a magazine, knowing that this might take a while.

Elsewhere, Speedy pretended to be driving a fast car as he toyed around with Cyborg's spare automobile (one he was never allowed to drive after that little incident during Titan West's occupation of the Tower, the one in which he, this very car, and a hot little high-schooler with platinum highlights and a sky-high credit limit had PIMPED this ride) (We're talking thirty inch gold rims, $300 amps, a custom-color job of cherry red with canary yellow arrows on the side, cliché put pretty) (suffice it to say, Cyborg had not been pleased).

At the same time, Aqualad was fighting convulsions as he went from the relatively clean of open-ocean into the dank water of the inlet to Gotham. No fishes swam here, and relatively few snakes. Every once and a while, he had to swerve to avoid garbage piling into the water; he wondered how anyone could allow such abuse of the water, a gift from the gods. Finally, he reached the dock and adjusted the level of the water to allow him to step onto the wooden planks. Though the middle of the day, no one was about. Aqualad didn't imagine inconspicuous was possible in latex and cotton, so he bravely stepped out of the shadows and onto the main street. Now, just to find that damned address.

Kid Flash wasn't really doing anything, instead stood there, outside her door, wondering if he should really go inside. All the other times, when he'd stopped in, sometimes for a minute, sometimes for the night, she'd been there already. Listening to music, doodling on a pad of paper, always with a mischievous smile ready and waiting for him, and doubtless, some plans on her mind.

Sometimes, she'd have her hair down, and it would be littered all over the sheets under her. It was surprisingly long when down, flowing past her shoulders and down the middle of her back. She'd once explained to him that the only reason it looked short was because it was layered, and that to keep it up in the "horn"-style she adored when "working", she had to plait it together in a large cone-like shape, and smooth her outer hair over it. One eventful morning, he'd watch her do it and found it one of the most fascinating things he'd seen in a long time.

Then another time, she'd let him do it for her. Sliding his fingers through thick, bubble-gum pink strands, using pomade to made the silkness stay together. It'd taken him two hours to her one, but it'd been enjoyable in a way he'd never really thought it would be. For hours afterwards, he could smell the apple-pomade in the lines of his fingers and it'd made him think of her, causing certain anatomical reactions that Dr. Light really hadn't appreciated the sight of.

She was his best friend, his girlfriend, and his teammate. Those weren't always the best of combinations, especially when you see some big bad hit her in the middle of a big battle and you feel the urge to run at the thing and slam him through a wall and into a volcano where it shall burn to a horrible and exceedingly painful death.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped into Jinx's quarters and turned on the light. As usual, it was an organized mess, the kind of clutter that always made sense to the person who made the piles of things, yet never made sense to anyone else.

Kid Flash stepped over the pile of "shirts that make my boobs look like they exist" (which he totally didn't get as he knew very well that they DID), and past the pile of "things that are blue, green, or white". Next to her bed, Jinx's pink rhinestone bedazzled Blackberry lay charging, and with a shrug over the invasion of privacy, picked it up and turned it on. Immediately, the screen flashed an announcement of five new voicemails, three new text messages, and twenty missed calls.

Before he could do more than peruse the missed calls, his communicator beeped and Robin's voice rang through. "Speedy, Kid Flash, back to the den, now."

Kid Flash grinned and threw his hand to his forehead in a dramatic fashion (though no one saw). "How can I deny him?!"

In a burst of light speed, he was next to the teen in less than a second, still hand to head and waxing poetic. "You called, mon capitane?"

Robin waited until Speedy joined them before speaking. "Cyborg can't get any information out of the memory banks, which means whoever did it, was very skilled."

"So what do we know?"

"Nothing."

The two redheaded teens stared at the Boy Wonder curiously. Together, they asked. "Then what do we do?"

Robin sighed and sank into the desk chair. "It means we're going to see Babs."


	4. Columbo

Holidays frighten my muses, so they flee with great speed. Luckily, I caught one by the hair and dragged her home.

Stupid muses think they can run. I say HA!!!

* * *

**Chapter Four: Columbo

* * *

**

Gotham City looked like the kind of city that would spawn obsessive-compulsive, analytical teen wonders. It was dark, eerie, and obviously criminal spawn. Robin looked at home there. Even the oddly bright colors of his uniform fit in with the dark and gritty underbelly of the city that the four teens now found themselves wandering about in.

Kid Flash felt dirty just being there.

Aqualad felt nothing, given that he was working very hard not to notice the puddles of what appeared to be urine (he was wishing it was just dirty water) that crowded them. (It smelled like urine, though.)

Speedy felt out of sorts, having hailed from Gotham's near neighbor, Star City. Star City shined where Gotham didn't, but on several cases with Green Arrow, he'd had chance to come to this haven of filth. Given that, he also recognized why Robin was struggling to stay down low, out of sight, where "Daddy" wouldn't see him.

Eventually, the skulking boys found themselves at their destination, a townhouse in a better neighborhood. There was a police car in the drive, and Robin (despite being in costume) didn't hesitate to go to the door (though he did eye any and all shadowy corners and rooftops before he did).

The three other boys hung back though.

Speedy grabbed Kid's arm before he could speed ahead, and nodded that Aqualad stay his route as well. "What are we doing here?"

"Visiting someone named Babs?" Kid supplied, his feet tapping at the speed of light out of impatience. He was anxious to get any and all information he could, more than ready to reunite with his apparently pseudo-girlfriend.

"Okay, granted, but who is she?"

Aqualad answered that one. "She's an option he wasn't entirely happy to use."

"And what does that mean?"

Kid and Aqualad stared at Speedy, shrugging in unison. The trio turned to watch as Robin ascended the stairs, and hurried across the deserted street to join him. Together, they stood in the shadows of a patio-porch (complete with swinging bench and potted plants) watching as inside the foyer a light flicked on and a large figure of a man (clearly) came to the door.

Commissioner Gordon, steadfast as always, opened the door and smiled down on the teen heroes with apparent fondness. "Robin, it's been a while."

"Yeah, Commish, I've been away."

"He informed me as to the circumstances so I'm slightly puzzled to find you on my doorstep..." Gordon hesitated, "...with friends in tow. Are you in trouble, Robin?"

Suddenly wary of the night, Robin gestured that he wished to enter, and without reason to deny, Gordon stepped aside. Once out of sight, Robin turned back to the gray-haired gentleman and smiled. "I'm here to see Barbara."

Gordon smiled knowingly. "Missed her, Robin?"

Robin grinned mischievously. "No one insults me quite like she does."

Laying a gentle hand on Robin's shoulder, Gordon pulled him through the foyer to the stairs, and the other heroes followed. "She's the third door on the left at the top of the stairs." The four boys started to climb the stairs when the Commish's voice echoed up to them. "I don't want any hanky panky, Robin. Leave the door open."

Kid snickered and roped an arm around Speedy's shoulder. "What kind of girl entertains four men in her room when her pop's downstairs?"

Gordon, who happened to have great hearing, replied before Speedy could. "I do believe she's entertaining four _boys_ in her room, and she's the kind of girl who can take care of herself, Kid Flash."

Gaping just a bit, Kid sped past the others, eager to get away from that knowing look in the police officer's eyes. This most certainly had not been the first time the man had met a "Hero". Robin could only grin as his friend breezed past, knowing just how extensive Gordon's relations with Heroes went.

Sure enough, third door on the left, with a small black bat taped to the top right corner of the door, was Barbara Gordon's room. Knocking softly, Robin pushed the door open, and stopped just inside, preventing any of the others from entering either. It was never too wise to just walk willy-nilly into Batgirl's room. Yep, I said it, Batgirl. This was Robin's mentor's new protégé. No jealousy on Robin's part. None. Nope. Not at all.

Even if she did get to have the word "Bat" in her title.

She had her long red hair pulled up into a ponytail and was typing fiercely on the computer at a speed Kid Flash thought admirable for a not-flashy-person. She'd never out-type him, but still, nice effort.

Finally, Robin gave and stepped inside the door, allowing the other three to spread out across the room, while he remained stationary just inside the door. The tension, though she'd not even acknowledged him yet, was palpable. Briefly, very briefly, before he'd left Gotham for Jump City, Robin and Batgirl had dated. Let him reiterate...briefly. Very briefly.

Barbara, finishing the report she'd been compiling on the Five Families of Gotham for Mr. Wayne, turned to the group she'd been expecting and smiled brilliantly. Instantly, Speedy fell in love (again, he's such a whore). "Hello, boys."

"Barbara," Robin replied, finally moving to take a seat near the window that overlooked the street. Was it just him or had he caught a flash of a shadow moving on the rooftop across the street? No, surely his imagination.

Babs, as she preferred to be called in her own irreverent expression of youth, watched as Kid Flash sped around her room taking in every little thing (including her underwear drawer, lest he think she had not seen that one-second stop of his). "I'm guessing you're here about the Titan Girls?"

"Why do you assume that?" Aqualad asked, his gaze guarded as he stood sentinel near the door; always on duty, that boy.

Speedy grinned and swept across the room to grasp Bab's hand and kiss it sweetly. "Perhaps we're here to indulge in your sweet presence."

From down the hallway, completely out of sight, Commissioner Gordon's voice echoed. "Hands off, Arrow-boy!"

Immediately, pale with the sounds of DOOM in Gordon's voice, Speedy stepped away, and placed his hands behind his back.

With a small laugh, Babs turned back to her computer. "We'll call it an educated guess," she began to pull up files on the screen, "and that little note of Robin's tipped me off." She looked over her shoulder to throw a condescending look at Robin, "I always did love your notes. _I'm coming by with friends. Have info ready for me. Robin_." She pantomimed a deep intimidating voice perpetuated by small squeaks of puberty, which caused Aqualad and Speedy to burst out in overly-deep laughter (making up for their own squeaks, she thinks). "Geez, subtle much?"

Robin ground his teeth and fought a snappy reply. "Do you have what I want?"

Another flirtatious look. "I think I do."

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Flirting with me."

"I'm not. I'm merely ascertaining my own worth, considering you left me for an alien."

"I did not leave you for an alien."

"Then what did you do?"

"We dated two weeks. The Old Man threw a fit and we fought, and I left. I'm in Jump City now, which makes seeing you inconvenient."

Speedy took that moment to lean over and whisper to Kid Flash, who had stopped running and managed to find Bab's secret stash of candy bars, "I don't think Star would like knowing that she's convenient."

"Me neither."

"You two shut up," Robin snapped, standing and brandishing his hands on his hips in defiance. "It wasn't like that, but it doesn't matter. I just want to find Starfire."

"And Jinx."

"Kid Flash?"

"Yep?"

"Stay out of this."

"Yessir."

Babs laughed out loud, tossing her hair to and fro behind her. Reaching down, she removed a disc from her hard-drive, adding it to another disc in a case. She stood and handed it to Robin. "These will contain everything you need to know."

Glancing at the memory capacity on the two discs, he whistled. "That's a lot of information. How long you been collecting?"

Babs smiled mysteriously, before passing by him to gesture for them to leave. "A girl likes to know her competition."

Aqualad took the invitation and quickly stepped from the room, followed by Speedy and Kid. Robin paused at the door before smiling at her. "There is no competition."

Watching as the four Heroes walked away and down the hall, why did Babs suddenly get the feeling that that wasn't a compliment?


	5. Saturday Night Live

Yayness, we're finally here. We're going to find out just what's going down with the girls...brace yourselves...it's gonna be FUN...

* * *

**Chapter Five: Saturday Night Live

* * *

**

Once securing a transport, and evading local Heroes, getting back to Jump City took no time. The discs, DVD accessible, would most likely play like a movie, and out of a sense of anticipation and general fun, the boys treated it as such.

Grabbing popcorn, soda, chips, candy, and cake, the four teens took seats on the large U-shaped couch and sprawled out, taking up all the space available. Sitting there, staring at the large (blank) screen, they finally realized something of infinite importance...

"Someone has to put the DVD in."

Various grumbles about not wanting to move, about it not being their problem, about how he didn't even care cause these chicks weren't his, finally ended with Robin getting up and putting the disc in. He pouted the entire time he was forced to get out of his comfortable spot and do something.

Sidekicks can be so lazy at times.

Back in place, the four teens watched with rapt gazes, munching occasionally, as the black screen before them lit up in wondrous animations.

What could best be described as "Chibi Teen Titans" flew around the screen, good-naturedly fighting and playing for several minutes. Finally, after a brief fight, the girl Titans disappeared off screen, while the boy Titans pouted near the edge. Fading into non-existence, a large ornate title appeared, one with ominous intentions.

_**Girl Titans Gone Wild...the first edition.**_

Kid Flash turned to Robin with a grim smile. "I don't like the sound of this."

"Me, either."

The television blanked for a minute, before what appeared to be security camera footage began to roll, focusing in on action taking place near the door...

* * *

_Two Weeks Ago_

The club was packed and lively, as only a conglomeration of evil and good could be. This was the Jump City version of Chaney's, a cornerstone bar of Metropolis, one of few neutral zones that exist. In a bid to expand on that, a new version of Chaney's, catering to the young and elite, had opened recently here, and the girls wanted to take advantage of it.

Checking their coats, weapons, and surveillance equipment at the door, the four girls opened their eyes wide and took in the sight of villains and heroes mingling (not too cohesively but mingling nonetheless). Jinx grinned and stepped forward, throwing her arms wide in gleeful abandon. "I'm home!"

Bee wrapped an arm around Jinx's neck and pulled her into the dance floor with her. "You're delusional, but you know a good party when you see one!"

The music was loud and fast, and the people moved like it was their last day on Earth. Through the crowd, you could see Mammoth smiling (yes, smiling) at Rock (a villainess with geo-based abilities). Not far from him, Gizmo was talking to Kole, who was without her constant companion this evening. Jinx and Bee waved to Kole, who waved back and made a signal that she'd talk to them later, before concentrating back on the smaller teen who had a bit of a crush.

Back near the doorway, Raven and Starfire found themselves out of sorts. "Why are we here again?"

"Friend Jinx said that we deserved some fun."

"Jinx most likely has ulterior motives," Raven noted as she deftly avoided a crowd of small-time criminals, obvious from their shady looks and dark clothing. She watched as they exited, just in time to see none other than Red X enter. She elbowed Starfire and gestured, watching as Red X began to approach.

"Evening, ladies," he cooed at them, not looking or sounding like the usual Robin-lite imitation that he was.

"Good evening, Red X," Starfire responded, friendly to the last. She smiled brilliantly, looking delicious in the short purple dress she wore.

With a corresponding smile, Red X stepped closer. "Dance with me, Star?"

"I would be pleased," and off they went. Raven watched them go, and found a nominal amount of amusement in knowing that Red obviously had no idea how Starfire danced. As the crowd suddenly jumped back, and the sight of Starfire flailing about completely out of sync with the music became visible, Raven found herself aware that this evening was not the complete loss it could have been.

Even as she found herself seeking a small table near the corner and settling in to be entertained by the antics of her friends, she found tingle of disharmonious energy going down her spine. Something ominous, this way comes.

* * *

The boys paused briefly to reflect on what they'd seen. The stared at each other, then at the screen, then to one another again. Behind them, the door opened and a welcome sight walked in.

"Green Man! What are you doing here?" Speedy asked, hopping up to greet his friend.

"Cyborg had the situation under control in Steel City, so I came to help. What are you guys doing?" Beast Boy asked as he took a seat by Aqualad, thinking that he'd come to help search and instead finding them watching a movie.

"We're looking through some tapes of the past few weeks, trying to find clues," Robin replied sagely.

"Oh...damn, here I thought y'all were watching Manic Monkey Rampage 3. I totally want to see that movie."

Two sets of glares had Beast Boy not-smiling and leaning back. "Well, damn, watch on..."

With a small move the "movie" started again.

* * *

_One Week, Five Days Ago_

This segment started the same as it had the last time, but there was a noticeable difference. The girls had gotten into the party now, instead of standing apart and watching.

Jinx removed her coat, revealing a short slip dress, vibrant purple in color. It flattered her thin frame, contrasting with her pale skin and pink hair, which today hung down to her mid-back. It was surprisingly long to people who'd never seen it before, and moved with her when she sauntered into the club.

Bee had also discarded her usual outfit for something more in tune with the night's activities. She wore a translucent peasant blouse over a yellow tunic, with her usual black leggings below. Other than that, she remained much the same, with her poofy hair and dancing eyes. On her arm, was the Titan ally, Herald, looking dashing in his cape, which he'd lowered from his head to reveal a handsome black teen, who couldn't take his eyes from Bee. They didn't even attempt to dance, instead heading to a table off the main club. This didn't look like the first time they'd been together.

Starfire retained the same purple dress, but had decided to curl her hair tonight. She twirled on strand around her finger and smiled at the festivities before her. She grasped Jinx and Raven by the arms and spoke loud enough so that only they could hear. "I'm going to find friend Jason. I shall see you later."

Raven, looking the same as usual, watched as Star vacated the immediate area, heading for the libation quarter of the club. She moved confidently, swinging her hips with a confidence she'd not had a few days before. Jinx had found it interesting, that the more unstable her relationship with Robin was the more Starfire couldn't function well within Human society. She began to lapse into a natural state, her Tamaranian-ness. However, now that Star had found an output for her stress, Red X, she found herself acclimating to this world faster than she had before.

Raven watched Jinx think about Starfire, and found herself wondering why Jinx was so interested. "Don't you have some dancing to do?"

Jinx turned and grinned, tossing that long hair over her shoulder. "You don't have any fun when we're here. You don't dance or anything."

"I find amusement in watching."

"You could find enjoyment if you danced."

"I don't dance."

Jinx stepped closer. "I know, so I thought I'd find you someone to talk to who might entertain you."

"You're setting me up on a blind date?"

Jinx grinned. "Yep."

"I don't date."

"What about Goth Boy?"

"We met and talked; we did not date."

"Well, you're dating someone now..." Jinx said with a smile as she slowly forced Raven to turn around.

Behind her stood a tall attractive blond teen. He wore a white wife-beater, and black loose jeans. He was muscled, attractive, and his blue eyes sparkled with intelligence. He smiled a hello, and gestured that she precede him to the private section of tables.

Raven stood there, slightly dazed and feeling oddly "connected" to this stranger. "Who's he?"

"This is Kid Devil. Be nice," Jinx said as she pushed Raven in the direction of the tables. Walking closely, the crowded room demanded nothing more, they headed for an empty table. Kid Devil talked animatedly to the stoic Raven, whose demeanor was now bordering on...shy.

Jinx watched them go; concentrating on keeping all "bad luck" away, so much so that she clouded it around herself. Standing near the entrance, she had no way of seeing the large teen that came around the corner quickly and slammed right into her.

She felt to the floor, the jolt echoing through her and stealing her breath. Her concentration lapsed, and throughout the room, several things happened. At the bar, three glasses broke and the soda-fountain went flat. On the dance floor, Argent (freshly arrived from Europe just yesterday having heard of the Titan Girl's Night Marathon) broke her heel and feel into the arms of her dance partner, Private H.I.V.E. In the restrooms, three toilets backed up, and one faucet broke sending water cascading all over a villainess named Cheshire, who really wasn't pleased with the incident.

Jinx scrambled to pull the energy back to herself, concentrating hard enough that she didn't notice when the boy who'd ran into her kneeled next to her and tried to get her attention.

"Miss?"

Bad luck is a manifestation of a certain type of energy, and it often occurs in wave-form, resonating farther and farther from her body. She was the center though, the magnet from which it radiated. She had the practice and ability to pull it into herself, no matter what the cost. She could also release the energy with purpose, which is what her Hexes consisted of.

Finally closing off the wave of energy, Jinx opened her eyes to find some deep blue ones just inches from her own. With a small yelp, she did a back flip onto her feet, taking herself some feet away from the stranger.

"Sorry!" He said quickly, hands out to placate the obviously lethal girl. "I didn't mean to startle you. Or to knock you down!"

Jinx calmed instantly, sensing the waves of "good" coming off the country boy. She rubbed a sore spot on her back and nodded. "It's fine."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

He stepped closer, and Jinx noticed just how cute this new player in the game was. Dark brown hair with small curls framing a sturdy face with hard angles and winsome dimples. He wore a leather jacket over a black t-shirt, and tight jeans. He appeared to be seventeen, at the most. A little young for her tastes, but quite yummy.

"What's your name?" She asked, a small smile on her lips as she ran her eyes over him flirtatiously. She absolutely would not allow Kid Flash to ruin her fun. Not now, not again, not ever.

"Connor."

She stepped closer, running a hand over the red emblem on his shirt. "What's your real name?"

He grinned and ducked his head sheepishly. "Superboy."

"Wow, prestigious."

"So I'm told."

"Wanna dance, boy?"

"Love to, ma'am."

"Call me...Jinx."

* * *

**_Please Insert Disc Two_**

The suddenly flashing message startled the boys, causing Kid Flash and Robin, who'd been leaning close to the edge, to fall completely off the table.

Speedy was the first to speak. "I hate to say it...but damn they look good. Even Bee."

Aqualad laughed. "Bee always looked good."

The four boys turned to stare at Aqualad, who blushed. "What?"

Kid stood up and began to pace, speaking slowly even as he paced at mach 2. "Why was she flirting with that guy? That's just rude. Flirting when she knows damn well I..."

"You what?" Beast Boy said with a grin. "To my knowledge, you haven't said anything to her about you and her."

Kid Flash stopped. "How do you know that?"

"Dude, Titan Gossip Message Board. Our fans know everything. Which reminds me..." He turned to Speedy. "Do you really pick up middle-schoolers in the mall? At the Gap Store, no less?"

Speedy flushed and got up to take a walk out of the room, speaking as he did so. "It's not like I knew she was that young...she looked older..."

Aqualad stood as well. "I'm tired, and as much fun as this is, I don't really care. I'm gonna go take a nap down under." He explained, referring to his preference for napping in the ocean, rather than the quarters he'd been assigned. Truth was, he could only go a bare hour out of the water, being an Atlantian by birth.

Kid Flash paced again, and Beast Boy and Robin stayed sitting.

Robin spoke, "I think we'll wait for morning to watch the rest of it, if it's okay with you two."

"No, it's not okay. I wanna see what that guy has that I don't!" Kid Flash said angrily, his face flushing as red as his hair as his irritation grew.

Beast Boy double over with laughter. "Besides muscles and style and the ability to make Jinx want to dance?"

Kid threw a pillow at the green boy's head, which came quickly and hit the teen, throwing him over the couch and causing a small screech. "I've got style and muscles."

"You're scrawny, dude. Hell, you make me look thick."

"I can't help my metabolism."

"Or your love of spandex."

"I have to have tight fitting clothes for my speed!"

Beast Boy giggled from behind the couch. "Keep telling yourself that."

Robin stood and ended the argument. "We'll take a rest, and finish this in the morning. We've been running all day and we're all on fumes."

With a pout, Kid nodded and headed for his quarters; his quarters, not her's, because at the moment, sleeping in her scent didn't sound very fun. Beast Boy continued to laugh, ignoring the niggling unease at the sight of Raven heading off with a cute boy herself. She'd never dig someone like that, he told himself as he buried his feelings in humor, a habit he'd formed early and never tried to break.

Robin stood there until he was alone, possibilities circling in his mind. Red X. Starfire. Jason. Kori. Names, that out of context meant nothing, but taken together, gave him a whole new set of things to worry about.

Walking slowly to a computer terminal, he typed out a quick email, sending it to someone he'd managed to avoid in Gotham, but now worried he'd need to warn. Robin should have seen this coming, he felt. Should have realized and recognized the signs.

_Bruce,_

_Possible lead on location of J. Todd. Contact for more information._

_Grayson_

Short, succinct, and to the point. The only way communications between Robin and his adopted father, his mentor, and the yardstick, to which he measured himself, could ever be.

Sometimes, he regretted the ways things were between them.

Sometimes, he didn't, and that worried him.


	6. The Muppet Show

This update took a bit, mostly because I willingly distracted myself. The suspense is killing thee, yes? No worries, answers ARE coming...

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Muppet Show

* * *

**

The living room was just as desolate in the morning light as it had been in the evening. Kid Flash found himself sitting on that couch at a ridiculously early hour, one he'd not seen since...well...when the hell had he ever been awake at five a.m.?

As usual, the rest of the Teen Titans slumbered on, blissfully unaware of what their compatriot was up to. Then again, secrets always were part and parcel of the Titan way. In point of fact, secrets were one of the things Titans and Heroes in general were best at. Keeping your "real" identity secret, making sure no one knows your "secret hideout", that no one knows your "secret weakness". Secret after secret compounding until even the Heroes don't know which way is up.

Kid Flash was no exception. In truth of fact, the way he'd spent the last month, not speaking to Jinx and all that, was mostly because of his own secrets.

When Kid had first met Jinx, it had not been the total meeting of minds most came to think of it as. He hadn't looked into her eyes and seen goodness there, and decided that she belonged on the good side, and specifically, at his side. He'd looked into her eyes and seen vulnerability there. She'd been unsure of something, and he'd ruthlessly grasped onto it as a way to crack this gang once and for all.

What a coup, he'd imagined, putting a stop to the crime of a gang that the Titans hadn't been able to ever really put to rest. He'd never imagined the feelings he'd encounter when around Jinx. He hadn't planned for them, thus, when push came to shove, he'd had certain problems to attend to before he could ever truly be with her.

Certain problems that started with the letter "L".

Kid shook off those thoughts, glad that it had been finally over, and straightened in his seat. It would still be hours until the others woke and he was in no mood to wait for them. Reaching over he removed the first disc they'd watched only last night, and inserted the second. He pushed play, and within the seconds it took for the information to load, he'd ran to the kitchen, retrieved a cup of coffee, and was safely back on the couch.

"Second verse, same as the first," he muttered to himself.

The screen remained blank for a few seconds, before the following information came up...

* * *

_Due to technical difficulties, video surveillance did not pick up again until five days later of the last segment. All efforts on my part could not provide any information as to the occurrences of those five days. Resumption of video evidence proves that significant occurrences during this time need to be uncovered._

_-Oracle

* * *

_

**One week ago**

In a direct contrast to the segments of tape from before, this time the scene opened upon was not a happy if hectic club scene. The video took place in an alley, with all the dirt, garbage and sliminess that implies.

However, the alley couldn't be too far from the Titan Girls' new haunting ground, for in the background of the audio, a distant bass caused small vibrations, and when without warning a hidden door in the alley flew open, out came the music that caused the bass. What also came out, was a very upset Jinx, dragging a distracted Bee behind her.

"Christ above, Jinx, why are you dragging me out here?! Me and Mal were just getting into some fun!"

Jinx didn't speak, instead continued to drag Bee away from the back door of Chaney's, and farther into the alley. Once safely away from the noise and eavesdroppers (if only they knew), Jinx stopped and turned to her former fellow H.I.V.E. student. "I think I just saw someone I couldn't possibly have seen."

Bee, hearing that shaken tone in her friend's voice, reached for Jinx's hands and sought to calm her (Jinx's powers were never ably-controlled when she was in emotional turmoil) (which explained why during the past three weeks that most of the mirrors in the house had suddenly and randomly broke). "What? What happened?"

"You know, how for the past couple of days, a lot of Titans have been showing up to visit?"

"Yeah, it's why Mal and Kole are here."

Jinx leaned close. "I think I just saw Joey."

"Joey?"

Jinx sighed and started to pace, pink energy dancing at her fingertips. "Come on, Bee! It wasn't that long ago that he was at H.I.V.E. At the most, two years ago, and you were there. Joey! He was Deathstroke's son, a new recruit for H.I.V.E.?"

Bee blinked a couple times. "Nope, can't remember."

Jinx glared. "He had the power to take over other people's bodies by transferring his consciousness into theirs?"

Bee suddenly nodded. "Oh, now I remember. I thought he died?"

Jinx nodded. "The story was that when those terrorists took him to use against his Dad that they slit his throat and he died."

"Okay, so what does that have to do with you dragging me out of the club?"

"I think I just saw him," Jinx explained, finally stopping her pacing (a bad habit she'd picked up from Kid Flash).

"And?"

"And what?"

"So what if you just saw him."

"So should I tell the Titans about him?"

"Why's it important that the Titans know about him?"

Jinx leaned close and whispered something into Bee's ear, something that had said Bee's eyes widening and her hand coming to her mouth. "You should tell Robin. Immediately."

Jinx threw her hands in the air. "I can't get a hold of him. Or Kid Flash for that matter." She pouted as she leaned against a dirty brick wall. "Not that I'd want to."

Suddenly, sending both the girls into startled positions of battle, Kole walked out the door, letting it slam into the wall. She didn't look at the girls, instead started marching down the alley away from them. Something in the way she moved, or walked, made Jinx suspicious, and she followed.

"Kole? Babe? You okay?"

Mechanically, and quite suddenly, Kole stopped and turned, moving almost as if she wasn't comfortable in her pink-haired, adorably petite body. "I need to leave."

Without another word, Kole turned away again and continued to walk away. Jinx, pushing her brighter pinker hair over her own shoulder, quirked an eyebrow at Bee. "That was weird."

Bee threw an arm around Jinx's shoulders. "Very. However, we've got other matters to concentrate on."

"Like what?"

"Like biding out time until Robin returns to tell him what you've found out..."

"Like he'd believe me, anyways," Jinx interrupted, though Bee continued like she hadn't spoken.

"...convincing Raven to give Kid Devil a chance..."

"And to get over Beast Boy, because really, that ship has sailed." Again, ignored.

"...tell Starfire that though her English is greatly improved, Robin is totally going to kill Red X when he returns..."

"Even though he really has no right too, that commitment avoiding Batman-bastard."

Okay, even Bee couldn't ignore that last part. "You're letting your frustrations over Kid Flash make you resentful of all boys. You need to work on that."

Jinx laughed. "I don't resent Connor."

"Connor is so damn likable; I don't think anyone ever could."

* * *

Then again, the girls had yet to have Kid Flash meet Connor, so they had no idea the level of resentment that was growing.

* * *

**Five Days Ago**

Again, a new scene and environment, but the same characters. Bee and Jinx sat together in a crowded café, both of them subtlety disguised so as to enjoy a little anonymity amongst the normal life of the day.

Jinx, reading the newspaper, sipped her hot tea with a sigh and lowered her overly large sunglasses long enough to glare at Bee. "So what's the news on Raven?"

Bee set down her own portion of the paper, and took off her sleek Matrix-style sunglasses. Her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, and her clothes wrinkled in a way that said she'd been in them for some hours. "There's no sign of her. Kid says he hasn't seen her since day before last."

"Do we believe him?"

"I do. There's no reason why he would lie."

"What else?"

"Kole is missing too. Her communicator is offline."

Jinx looked up at that. "Who saw her last?"

"We did."

Jinx set down her cup of coffee and rotated her neck, sighing at the cracks that sounded. "Where's Starfire?"

"Sleeping off the night of clubbing with Jason."

"I think we created a monster," Jinx commented before rising from her seat. She threw a couple of bills on the table, and together she and Bee left the innocent crowd. She'd always been uncomfortable around "normal" people. Then again, most meta-humans did.

"What about the other Titans?" Jinx asked, clearly having been placed in some authority position. She'd always naturally been in that placement, and apparently being a Titan hadn't changed that.

"Titans West are currently embroiled in an arson investigation. The police think it's a new villain, so they can't help us."

Jinx nodded, idly reaching up and removing the scarf she'd used to conceal her unique hair. Immediately, several stares turned to her, noting her face and hair, and then the clothes she'd worn (which were of the same style, if not coloring, of her normal hero-uniform). Even as she walked on, those people scurried away, anticipating some sort of confrontation that Titans inevitably brought. They were to be disappointed, however, for the duo remained unattacked.

"What about the Titans around the World?" Jinx asked, referring of course to the current Titans on world tour, and yes, it was said with a bit of bite, but Bee didn't reference it.

"They're still out of contact. I'm afraid you and I will have to deal with this on our own."

Jinx smiled and linked her arm with her friend's. "Just two former villainesses taking on the world!"

"Villainesses?"

Jinx smiled. "Villiani?"

"Pssht, I don't know. I was never really a villain."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"I will."

"Good."

* * *

**Three Days Ago**

It's the alley outside of Chaney's again, and the scene starts much as the first did. An empty alley, a distant bass, and a sense of foreboding. The lights shifted on screen, all shadows and light seemed to draw closer to the door, almost like a powerful vacuum was on the other side. It affected even the video, causing a distinct distortion.

The distortion corrected itself when Jinx literally crashed through the door and slammed into the wall outside. She'd been running so fast that she'd had no control over stopping herself. She rolled herself along the wall, just in time to avoid being slammed into by an equally fast running Bee.

Together, they flung themselves away from the wall and began to run away from the door of the club. They'd reached the end of the alley, just at the street, when Jinx slammed to a stop. She pulled Bee in front of her and pointed down the street. "Run. Run quickly and stay hidden."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll slow him down; you hide until you can get help."

Bee started to pull Jinx with her. "You can't face him alone. Come with me."

Jinx pushed Bee off, turning to face down the alley. "Someone has to slow him down."

Bee looked unsure, but seeing the determined look on Jinx's face, she fled. Jinx let her go, knowing that this might just be her last fight. She smiled to herself as she thought that and found her own disparaging humor refreshing. It had her back even in desperate situations.

Jinx walked back into the alley, just a few feet, and started to concentrate. She had only seconds to ready herself, but she'd put them to good use.

She widened her stance, steadying her body weight so that the force of her power she called on wouldn't knock her on her ass. Even as she did these things, the pink energy she wielded, usually in hex blasts or waves, was stirring at her fingertips, snapping away like electricity.

Then, her eyes closing so that nothing would distract her, she flung her arms above her head, and the energy that had been so innocently sparkling a second before, became a flood of pure white light reaching as high as the eye could see. The energy it was composed of danced with pink undertones, but the fierceness of it was pure white. It seemed so slow to see, but truly it took only seconds, for the light to lower, from her fingers, down her arms, past her shoulders, to encompass her entire body. Inside that light, she could barely be seen, but what was seeable wasn't good.

The force of will and energy it was taking to produce this much power was taking it's toll on Jinx's body. Even as she stood there, not moving just holding the connected, a trickle of blood slowly slid down her nose to her lips, before continuing past her chin.

At the club door, now broken open from the exit of the girls, a shadowy figure stepped out, large and imposing even in silhouette. However, as the man stepped closer to Jinx it became quite clear that this was no stranger, but instead was none other than Superboy.

"You can't fight me in this body, Jinx. He is truly powerful."

Jinx smiled though it obviously took some effort. "Your ego is your greatest weakness."

"Would you really hurt me, anyways? You have grown to care for this boy. You don't want to hurt him," Connor said as he slowly walked around Jinx, studying what she was doing.

"I used to be a villain. I can ignore any emotional attachment I have to do what I need to do."

"They teach a class on that at H.I.V.E.?"

"You'd know," Jinx replied as Connor came full circle and stood just a few feet away from her.

"What do you think this little light show will accomplish? Will you defeat with blindness?"

Jinx smiled again, tasting the bitterness of her own blood as she did so. "Do you know the probability of a satellite falling from the sky?"

Connor looked confused. "No."

"Neither do I, but it's pretty damn low right now."

Then, before Connor could say another word, Jinx released all the energy, the light flowing up and out of her body. She turned to jump away, without enough time to do so, as a large commercial satellite, ripped from orbit by her power, slammed into the ground right where Connor had been standing. The force of the crash, many hundreds of miles an hour, flung Jinx away from the site, nearly thirty feet and destroyed the entire alley and half of the buildings surrounding it.

However, Connor did not get up from it. At least not at first, or that the video showed.

Neither did Jinx.

* * *

Kid Flash was only inches away from the screen when the video abruptly shut off into black. He jumped back, hitting the coffee table and falling over it, back into his original seat. Even as he sat there, awed over the power Jinx wielded and over the sudden shocking turn to the situation, words began to appear across the screen.

_**Starfire**-missing_

_**Raven**-missing_

_**Argent**-missing_

_**Pantha**-missing_

_**Kole**-missing_

_**Bumblebee**-missing_

_**Jinx**-locating verified-Jump City General Hospital-Ward C-Room 354_

Kid Flash swallowed and watched as Jinx's location slowly blinked at him. Almost all the Titan girls were listed, though truly they were outnumbered by male counterparts in the Titans. Kid wondered briefly if he should wake the others, but quickly discarded that idea.

He was gone before the others even thought of waking up.


	7. Mork and Mindy

**Chapter Seven: Mork and Mindy

* * *

**

The hospital ward was conspicuously quiet. In most hospitals, no matter where you're at, there's always noise; innocuous background noise of movement and efficiency, but noise nonetheless. The hallway that Kid Flash found himself wandering down was empty of all that, and almost all people. The doors he passed were closed, which could account for the lack of noise, but even the nurses and doctors weren't scurrying about.

The closer he got to Jinx's room, however, the more he realized the reason for the lack of employees. A loud bang and the appearance of a flying bed pan coming out of the room should have been his first clue to Jinx's current mood, but he entered anyways.

"...I'm going to eviscerate you, little man, if you do not remove _yourself from my way_!" Kid Flash had always found Jinx's propensity for losing her grasp of colloquial English when she was angry most amusing. It was a side effect of English not being her first language.

Kid Flash gingerly stuck his head around the door frame and confronted the sight of the girl he...was enamored of threatening a doctor a good foot taller than her (and a hundred pounds heavier) with a scalpel. For his credit, the good doctor didn't laugh in her face, though he could have. Jinx didn't look like she could hold up the scalpel very much longer; her hair lay lank and thin around her pale yet puffy face. As much as Kid hated to admit it, she looked sick. He hated knowing that she was suffering and that he hadn't been able to be here to care for her.

Stubbornly moving forward, even feeling the weakness of her knees, Jinx refused to give and to return to bed. After years of dealing with her own mortality and lack of strength in these matters, she'd long ago perfected her art of strong-arming physicians into releasing her. Factually, she'd have succeeded in this instant as well, if not for a certain orange-haired peanut gallery showing up.

"Hey, kid," a soft voice said from the doorway, and set off many sparks of irritation firing in her brain. She didn't turn around, fearing the violence that was as sure as the energy flares as her fingertips would overwhelm and she might harm Kid Flash in a very unexpected way.

"Hey, Kid," she replied in a deceivingly soft responsive tone. The doctor, more adept than many at sensing volatile situations, made his excuses and with a firm "Get back into bed" left the duo to their uneasy reunion.

Jinx turned finally and stared at Kid Flash in all his freshly laundered and showered perfection. Hair just the right tad of windblown, clothing just a bit too tight and spandex-y; and he looked better than he had when he'd left a month ago. Jinx could have hit him for looking so good in the face of her own illness, but she didn't have the strength to summon a decent hex-bolt, let alone a fistful of righteous fury.

Kid smiled and stepped further into the room, speeding around the room as he inspected several items lying around, including a vase of flowers, the torn and bloodied clothing she'd worn in, and the view from her windows. Jinx allowed him the few minutes to compose himself, before settling onto the edge of her bed and glaring. "What do you want?"

"Why are you in here?"

"I can only assume you know how I got here, since you knew I was here," she replied slowly, not trusting the sudden breathlessness he could cause in her. It didn't help that just as quickly as he'd been at the window, he was suddenly sitting on the bed next to her, staring at her with those damn puppy-dog eyes and looking wounded. He had no right to act hurt.

"I saw some video of the fight, but I don't know why you're in here," he answered emphatically, gesturing around the room. "After injuries during a fight, Titans are taken to S.T.A.R. labs, not to a regular hospital."

Jinx shrugged and stood, slowly moving to her torn clothes and sighing. It was all she had, and she was most definitely not staying here for more tests. "I'm not here because of the fight, Kid."

He stood and followed, no longer feeling the urge to ease the tension with a quick laugh. "Then why?"

"Do you think you could go get me some clean clothes?"

Kid recognized a deliberate shift of the conversation, and after running back to the Tower and returning with the clothes, within seconds and quick enough that she'd barely blinked (but slow enough that he could see his fellow guy-Titans were watching the rest of the video), he returned to the original topic.

"Why are you here, Jinx?"

Jinx studied the clothing he brought and threw it back at him as quickly as he'd handed it to her. "How about some of _my_ clothes, and nothing in spandex?"

Kid looked down and with a start realized he'd grabbed his spare uniform instead of her's. This is what you get when you live with another hero; mixed up clothing and gadgets. "I don't wear spandex. I wear man-dex."

Jinx snorted and pointed at the door. This time he returned with some of her clothing. "You still haven't answered my question."

"I don't have to," Jinx said slowly removing the hospital gown she wore. Kid, tempted to watch, whirled around in time to not see anything indiscrete.

He nodded, hearing her moving around behind him, dressing with extreme difficulty. He would have helped, but last time he'd offered to help her (un)dress, she'd hexed him through the wall into Raven's quarters, who'd in turn caused him to disappear into a portal, reappearing in the middle of Robin's training room right in the middle of a session, in which Robin had mistaken Kid for a robot posing as Kid (and the new question is why is Robin training against robots made up to look like fellow Titans?). It'd been an uncomfortable experience to say the least.

"Jinx, I just wanna know. We're friends, right?"

She laughed at that. "At one point, I'd thought we were going to be more than friends, KF."

He shuffled his feet faster than light and finally turned to watch her pull on her boots. "That's not fair."

"Life rarely is."

"Is this why you were clubbing? Hanging out with that Connor-guy?"

Jinx looked up surprised. "You really did look into what I was doing while you played world-explorer."

"I wanted to know then, just like I want to know now."

"Curiouser and curiouser," she replied snidely as she stomped past him. In the hallway, despite his protests and her own infirmity, the doctor signed papers allowing her to leave. Kid Flash fluttered around them, asking questions that neither would answer. With a sigh of relief, Jinx started out of the hospital, working her way through the hallways that spoke of long remembered walks through them.

"Jinx."

"Kid."

"Jinx," he stressed, not willing to ask again.

"Kid."

"Jinx!"

"Kid."

"Jinx!!"

"Kid."

"Jinx!!!" Despite her own monotone responses, this constant nagging of his was wearing on her. In a fit of pique, and just a bit of maliciousness, she finally turned and glared at him.

"I have cancer. It's a benign tumor in my brain, and all the tests in the world can't make it any more operable. The doctors at H.I.V.E. had the theory that it's where I get my 'abilities' from, and it seems to be close to the truth since every time I overuse my powers, I have a mild seizure and have to be hospitalized." She glared at him, daring him to speak or act in some way mocking. "There, are you happy? You know all my secrets now?"

Kid smiled, and despite the stares people passing were giving the two Heroes, he stepped closer, running his index finger down the tip of his nose. "I highly doubt that."

She smiled, and it wasn't a nice smile. "True, you don't know mine, but I know yours, Sparky. How is Linda, by the way?"

The color drained from his face, utterly satisfying Jinx and causing her to grin as she turned and walked out of the hospital. He could've easily caught up to her, but to better avoid any hexes she might throw, he paced a bit behind. "How did you know about her?"

Jinx whirled, remembered anger of Kid's malfeasance stoking fires of rage she'd thought long abated. "I'm not stupid, Kid. Do you really think I'd get involved with you without knowing anything about you? When the H.I.V.E. Five captured you, we did a background check. It's a matter of public knowledge that back in Central City you have a habit of saving her. In Hero-talk, this means you're attached. It's not a big leap to assume she's your girlfriend!"

Kid sighed and looked away. "Then why'd you come with me?"

Jinx smiled and it was one of genuine amusement and a sight for his sore eyes. "I'm an ex-villainess. Do you really think a girlfriend would bother me?" Then the smile slipped away. "Besides, we're not anything to each other, KF. Friends, nothing more."

She turned to walk away, barely getting a few feet before his hand on her arm was pulling her back around. He was angry now, at her belittlement of their relationship and his own complacence in letting the Linda-situation go on far too long. "If we're nothing to each other, then why did I just spend the last month ending things with Linda? Why did I use every spare moment of my time convincing Flash to let me move here to Jump City to be near you? Why did I break off a two-year thing with Linda, so I could be free to tell you how I feel?"

Jinx pulled her arm from his and poked him right in the chest, hard enough to force him to back off. "Because you're a fool, Kid. You always have been." Jinx stared at him for a few seconds, both of them hurt and angry, and neither ready to give in. "We have to go back to the Tower. I need to talk to Robin."

"Why Robin?"

Jinx smiled bitterly and threw her arms open wide. "His ingenious little plan that he didn't want to tell anyone about? It failed."

"What are you talking about, Jinx?"

Her voice was like arsenic when she replied. "The girls are missing because Robin pulled a power trip and started something he couldn't finish."

* * *

A/N: Why hasn't anyone questioned my odd chapter titles? Do they not strike you as odd? There is a common thread to all of them, but I don't think y'all are quite GETTING my brilliance.


	8. Flip Wilson

A/N: Dearest readers, many of you made me proud! You guessed what the chapters' titles were, though most of you didn't understand how they were connected...they're all shows from the seventies, the decade of choice when looking for good Teen Titans comics. That's the only connection they've got, sheesh! What, did you think I was actually coherently choosing a chapter theme? Nope. Completely random.

* * *

**Chapter Eight: The Flip Wilson Show

* * *

**

Jinx was very angry, and when angry, she often did things not considered "morally sound". As it was, Kid Flash was more worried about her dangerous driving on the road down to the pier, than about the fact that they did it in a stolen cab.

Several times he tried to speak, but it was as if his brain was on information overload. He couldn't string together a sentence, let alone a conclusive argument that said that Robin was in no way involved in the kidnappings. Truth was there wasn't a conclusive argument, just lots of amazing coincidences.

With a screech and a small jerk, the yellow cab stopped outside of the pier. Kid Flash was frozen in the passenger seat and stood watching as Jinx breathed in and out deeply. "Trying to calm down?"

"I'm very angry, Kid," she replied with a glare, before reaching for her door handle. Kid was out of the car and opening it for her before she'd even touched it. "That bird idiot has made one too many plans without other people's knowledge."

Kid laughed as he followed the angry bad luck witch down an almost empty dock. The door leading to the underwater tunnel, which in turn lead to Titan's Tower, was hidden unobtrusively off the main path. Kid had only had reason to use it once, when incognito, otherwise he ran across the water. Jinx, he realized, most likely used it fairly often. "Come on, Jinx! That's what Robin does! He has plans for everything!"

"Well, he's about to learn that some things can't be planned."

"Like what?"

"Like my foot in his ass."

"I plan for that everyday."

"Shut up, Kid Flash," she said through grinding teeth as she entered the passcode to the tunnel. Inside, a dimly lit staircase led down into the water, which could be heard sloshing against the walls. It was secure, though, even in the worst weather, something Jinx could attest to. Aqualad and Cyborg had put their awesome abilities together to build it, and as Jinx reached the bottom landing and stared down the long tunnel made of glass that led to the island on which Titans Tower was located, she admitted that they'd done a great job.

The cart at the bottom of the landing that usually provided transport to the Tower was gone, leading her to conclude that once again, Speedy hadn't returned it after using it. With a sigh, she started down the mile long tunnel, wondering why Kid Flash was still with her. "Why haven't you run ahead and warned your boy of his impending doom?"

Kid smiled and continued to walk just as slow (to him) as she was. "First of all, he's not my boy. I don't really like him that much. He's got no sense of humor, his fashion sense leaves something to be desired, and he's way too strict..."

Jinx interrupted with a grin. "What, only you can wear spandex?"

"...I thought we already agreed, it's man-dex, not spandex."

"Pssht," she said with a snort, quite unwillingly enjoying herself. She didn't want to like Kid Flash, not now. She wanted this anger, this rage. She needed it, because right now, with this weakness making it hard for her to concentrate, let alone use her hexes, she needed something to keep her going. Kid Flash, with all his charm, would take that anger from her and make her forget the reason she continued to fight on. Without aid, without stopping, she'd always fought. Damn him for trying to take that.

"Reason two for why I don't run ahead and warn the others of the Apocalypse, is because..." he trailed off, watching her out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't sure she would be open to this reason, and didn't even know if he'd survive telling her it alive, but he wanted to try, if only because he as an adrenaline junky who got off on near-death experiences.

"Reason two is?" She asked snappily, still striding down the beautiful tunnel, refusing to stare up at the awe-inspiring sight of thousands of gallons of water freely flowing around them.

Kid wrapped his hand around her wrist, pulling her to a stop so that he could stare into her eyes. Still holding that wrist, with the other he reached up and pulled off his mask. Jinx has seen his face before, but never quite this serious looking. For that alone, she didn't pulverize him as she wanted.

Kid smiled and pulled her close (she let him). "Because I don't want to let you out of my sight."

"Fearful for the safety of others?" She asked, refusing to yield or soften in any way.

"Fearful that I'll never see you again," he replied honestly, studying the pink eyes that studied him in return.

"Don't flatter yourself, you're not that important," she said with a snarky smile, not acknowledging that the closer his face came to her's, the more she leaned back.

"Jinx?"

"What?"

"Shut up."

He kissed her, and it was no child's kiss. They'd played at this before, teased and flirted, taunted and glimpsed it, but never had the passion between them ever come to fruition. Jinx had thought it never would. She'd been wrong.

He kissed her like he was a dying man, and she was the last sip of water. He kissed her like she was ambrosia and he couldn't get enough. Overwhelmed by the pleasure of his tongue against her's, Jinx wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to pull her closer. Her thin lithe body melted against his strong wiry one, and she couldn't stop a shiver from sliding down her spine.

Finally, gasping for air, Jinx pulled her mouth from his, but even the will that let her do that couldn't make her tear her eyes from his. Straightening up, he let her slip from his arms just a bit, and grinned like an idiot, so utterly pleased with himself. Jinx smiled back and reached up to pat his cheek softly. "Enjoy that?"

"Yep," he replied, convinced that his awesome ability to kiss had wiped out any anger still within his witch. He was wrong.

"Good, won't happen again," she said, pulling back her fist which began to crackle with bad energy. She clocked him on the jaw, sending him slamming back into the glass wall, and sliding to the floor. Without checking to see if he was alright, she started down the tunnel again.

Kid sat there, completely shocked. She'd hit him; no, not hit him, she'd broken his jaw.

That, he thought to himself as he delicately felt his chin, was completely hot.

If possible, he fell even more in love with her.

He also fainted as his fast-healing body, a side effect of his speed, began to heal said broken jaw, making it hurt worse than it ever would on a normal person, because weeks of healing were being compounded into ten minutes.

Jinx, again, didn't bother to check on him. Not because she didn't want to, but rather because she did. She was tired of having Kid Flash be her one weakness, and just for today, she was going to actually get a little vengeance and chaos going before she let him "rescue" her from her bad side.

Look out, Robin, here she comes.


	9. Bad Cat

A/N: Yay for the major smackdown on the Robin!!! LOL...I've totally run out of good 70s television series, so I'm moving onto the 70s cartoons...

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Bad Cat

* * *

**

When dealing with an ex-villain or ex-villainess, a Hero must remember that tact and subtlety is key. Any significant aggression on the Hero's part be it verbally or physically, can end with said villain(ess) heading back over to the dark side with a vengeance. If their sojourn into Goody-good has been memorable, they can take anything from Hero weaknesses to pass-codes to secrets with them. As it is, any villain to "turn-coat" is less likely to be trusted by either side, and can find that the entire experience has been without worth.

Jinx, however, was not on her way to the "bad" side of the equation. She was angry, true, but angry enough to discard all the progress she'd made? Ha! Hardly. She was, however, angry enough to spit glass (and with her abilities, quite capable).

The object of her wrath sat in the middle of the large U-shaped couch, flanked on either side by Beast Boy and Aqualad. They were watching the end of the "movie" noting the list of Heroines now listed as missing. Beast Boy was chewing on some Tofu-Jerky; Aqualad idly talking to a goldfish in a small bowl beside him, while Robin sat quite still, pondering the idiosyncrasies of the universe.

With a loud **SNAP**, a large crack split the entire flat screen television that hung before them in half, sliding apart to reveal that the crack itself ran as deep at the foundation. With a feeling of ill ease, the trio of boys turned to find Jinx mere inches away, her eyes glowing with threat and dark pink energy snapping around her.

"Hey...uh...J-Jinx," Beast Boy said weakly before becoming a snake and slithering away with great speed. Aqualad grinned and made himself equally sparse. Robin stood and turned, facing her with all the courage of an idiot facing a lion in a cage.

"Jinx, you're alright," it wasn't a question, so she didn't answer. Instead, she crossed her arms, a mirror of what he did and continued to stare. She'd discovered this technique in "Acts of Intimidation 101" (she'd passed with flying colors, going onto "Coercion and Torture 212) (which she'd also passed with flying colors).

Robin was also a master of silence, having learned how to not speak at the hand of the Master of Brooding Silence himself. They stood there, at an impasse for several seconds before Jinx realized that since she wasn't going to speak first, he wasn't going to further their conversation by continuing to speak.

Left with little recourse, Jinx used the energy that she controlled to pick up the Tamaranian Gong of Relaxation that was on hand, and proceeded to slap Robin upside the head with it.

She found it quite relaxing.

Robin rubbed the spot where it hit and scowled at her. "And you did that, why?" He asked the question in a personable voice, but was reaching for his Batarangs as he did so.

Jinx focused on his hands and with a grimace Robin found that he couldn't bend his fingers to wrap around the weapons. Jinx took her time in walking around the couch (Robin also found that he couldn't move his legs either). Robin watched as she did so, as unreadable as always.

"Robin?" She made it a question, or rather, a garnering of his attention though it was unnecessary. "You do realize that I was the best student to ever come out of H.I.V.E.?" He wordlessly nodded. "I excelled in all classes of deception, detection, defense, and lots of d-words. Very few could beat me, and in truth, the Titans only did because I allowed sentiment and friendship to drag me down."

Jinx slowly encompassed Robin's legs in the signature pink energy of her's, and watched as he suddenly found he was magnetically opposite to the Earth's gravity, and was floating upside down. "Why did you think you could keep this from me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Robin replied though it caused his head to pound as he did so. All the blood was rushing from his feet to his head, and unwillingly he began to recall various medical facts this situation could cause. Death, dysphasia, and other really bad d-words.

"Let me clue you in, Boy Wonder," Jinx replied cheerfully, casually causing Robin to slam into the wall with great force. "I was tracing the Titan communicators, trying to close-in on the locations of the missing Titans, and what do I find but several times a day for the past month, contacts between you and Jericho?" He careened off the wall and into the opposite one. "Now, understand, this is Jericho, also known as Joseph Wilson, the son of Slade Wilson, also known as Deathstroke, all of which I know you knew. You're not foolish enough to allow anyone into your organization without knowing every little thing about their background." Again, into the wall and back again. Robin could feel blood filling his nostril and knew that if he ever managed to get upright again, a long nosebleed was sure to follow. He had to find a way to incapacitate the scorned witch, or she might hurt him for real.

Jinx was already losing what little power she'd stored inside during the past few days at the hospital, and knew she had to finish this quickly. "What are you planning with Jericho, Robin?" She waved her hand and stopped the wild careening wall off wall that she'd had him on, bringing him to hover feet away. Robin started to speak, only to be cut off by the familiar voice of a certain speedster.

"I have to say, babe, you pack quite a punch," Kid Flash said as he casually stepped to the doorway. He glanced at Robin's mid-air figure and started to walk (deliberately normal-paced) over to Jinx. "So, why are we attacking the Bird-boy?"

"Tell him, Robin," Jinx said with a mean smile. "Tell him what you did."

Robin would have shrugged if he could. "I talked to my friend, Jericho a couple times, and apparently that means I've done something wrong."

Kid Flash smiled at Jinx, wrapping his arm around her shoulders (prepared to send her into a spin and cause her to release the hold she had on Robin if necessary). "See? He didn't do anything wrong. You just misread the evidence."

Jinx smiled softly, her eyes going slightly dimmer in light as she slowly let Robin float to the ground. She released his legs and his hands and took small satisfaction in the fact that he hit his head on the coffee table.

"Now that that's been covered," Robin started as he stood and brushed off his oddly-colored uniform.

Jinx interrupted him. "Who said it's covered?" She asked as she stepped close, bringing her fist up in a fast upper-cut, sending him flying over the table and into deep unconsciousness.

Kid Flash speed-of-light flashed his way to Robin's head, checking his friend's condition. "He's going to be alright, I think. Remind me not to piss you off," he said quietly as he stood from the kneel at Robin's side.

Jinx shrugged. "I didn't use my hex on him like I did you."

"Good thing, you might've broken his neck. You've got some fierce moves."

"I learned from the best."

"Aww, me?" Kid Flash asked as he disappeared for a second into the speed-force only to reappear the next second with a bag of ice in his hand. He placed it gently on Jinx's already bruising right hand.

Jinx glared. "No, Deathstroke."

"Who's Deathstroke?"

"Slade."

"You know Slade?"

"I know every villain in the Western Hemisphere, and most in the East."

"Okay," Kid Flash said in a deceptively accepting tone. He'd known that Jinx had been on the fast-track to becoming one of the world's most wanted criminals, but he'd never truly grasped just how close she'd come. "So...why'd you hit on Robin?"

"Because he's a bastard."

"Explain?"

"I'd love to, but it's not my story to tell," Jinx said as she stepped from the close quarters she suddenly found herself in with Kid Flash. It was a bad habit of his, to invade other people's "bubble of personal space". When they'd been happy and in...friendship, she hadn't minded so much; with so much unresolved between them, she wasn't entirely comfortable.

"But it is your story to defend with bloodthirsty vengeance?"

"I was angry."

"You're always angry."

Jinx smiled for the first time that hour. "Can't really argue that."

Kid Flash slumped down onto the couch, pulling out a squealing green snake from under his toned butt seconds after. "So, who do we need to talk to?"

"Go get my cell phone," she told Kid Flash, waiting several seconds for him to get it and return with it. "Thanks," she patted him on the cheek, enjoying the small stubble that grew there (one of little evidence that he was a growing young man and not the boy he so often sounded like).

Jinx dialed a now-familiar number and waited for it to connect. Pretending that Beast Boy (now in human form) and Kid Flash weren't listening just a few feet away, she spoke to the person on the other line. "Kon-el, bring Ravager to Titan's Tower."

She hung up without waiting for an answer and wondered if she could get away with kicking Robin in the head while they waited for her companions to join them. She never got to find out, because at that moment a red-boxer clad Speedy decided to join them, wiping the sleep from his eyes and non-chalantly scratching his privates in a way boys only do when no one is looking (or when they don't care).

He looked up at he hit the stairs and finally realized he wasn't alone. Taking in the girl, the boys, and the unconscious boy, he summed up the last ten minutes as only the smart-alecky Star-City native could...

"That's crazy, man. What'd I miss?"


	10. Rocky and Bullwinkle

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those interested, one can usually get spoilers/hints on my current stories, ones I've got in planning and other such things by hitting my profile page. I keep a monthly/sometimes-bimonthly newsletter there. I've just updated it...and it has some info about this story in it, so I suggest a hit or two. You can also PM me your thoughts or anything like that.

* * *

**Chapter Ten: The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show

* * *

**

Robin was down for the count, Speedy wasn't dressed for company, and both Aqualad and Beast Boy were uncomfortable being near Jinx. As it was, once again, Kid Flash and Jinx were left alone. Her strange message aside, Kid Flash still wanted to talk to her about "them".

"Jinx?"

"Shut up."

"Jinx."

"Shut. Up."

"Jiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnxxxxx..."

"Shut. UP."

Suffice it to say, it wasn't going very well. Her anger at Robin was still making sparks of energy randomly materialize around her, and she paced with restless liveliness she didn't have to spare. Her hands trembled and she clenched them so no one would see. Her head pounded from the attack on the Titan Leader, and she desperately wanted some aspirin. However, both pride and fear of weakness had her holding her tongue.

Kid Flash didn't have that ability. "Who's Connal?"

"It's Kon-El."

"Who's he?"

"A friend," she replied with a sly smile. Sick to her stomach, sweat-covered from her efforts, and smoke-from-the-ears mad, and she still made Kid Flash weak in the knees (which in his case wasn't a good thing).

"A friend like I'm a friend?"

"You're not even that anymore."

"Why?"

"You know why."

"You just said not ten minutes ago that you didn't care about me having had a...liaison with another chick before we met," Kid Flash pointed out, using the seconds before she responded to run and retrieve a bottle of water and Tylenol for her (she hadn't said anything, but he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't).

She took them grudgingly, and replied. "I'm not angry at you about that."

"Then why are you angry with me?"

"I'm not," she said simply, "I'm angry with myself for ever thinking you could understand."

"Understand what?"

"Understand me! You don't get it, Wally. I'm not some little villainess who turned good for some boy. You were in the right place at the right time. I don't need you to be who I want to be."

Kid Flash was agape. "I never said you did."

"But others do. The Titans. You think I don't see the looks? Do you know why Raven and Starfire and Bee went along with all my plans to party and club-hop while you all were gone?"

"No," he shrugged, willing to go along with this line of thinking.

"They were watching me, Wally. They were babysitting me while you were gone because everyone thinks that without you around, I'm bad. That I'm gonna rob a bank or try to steal, like I used to. I don't need babysitters. I need some trust!" Jinx stabbed Kid Flash in the chest with her finger, pushing him away from the scant inches that he'd placed himself from her. He'd never really understood the concept of 'personal space'.

Kid Flash allowed her to push him back, her words tumbling back and forth in his mind. "Do you regret it?"

Jinx got quiet, her eyes steady on his as she tried to find the words that wouldn't hurt his feelings, finally giving up and settling for honesty. "Sometimes. Sometimes it's hard trying to change, and I think how easy it was to be bad. Sometimes I think about going back." The fire came back with a vengeance, sending her pink eyes into flames of wrath. "I don't do it, though. I made my choice, and I wish people would accept that."

He grinned charmingly, invading her personal space again as he grasped her arms to pull her close. "I trust you."

She smiled back slowly, malice making it carnivorous. "But I don't trust you."

His grin gone, he dropped his arms and tried to think of a response. For all his speed, Wally West, known to the world at large as Kid Flash, could be quite dense at times.

He took so long in thinking, in fact, that by the time he'd dragged his attention from his thoughts, he and Jinx had company.

Beast Boy, green as ever and now comfortably attired in human form, led a large teenager into the room, a male brunet, who was followed by a much smaller girl, her hair shockingly light. Almost white, but the light gave hints of silver. Beast Boy was naturally instantly infatuated.

Jinx hurried across the room, taking the hands of the male. "Are you injured?"

He shook his head eyeing her up and down. "Are you?"

"No," Jinx replied with a smile, more at ease with him than she'd ever been with any of the Teen Titans. Kid Flash watched the exchange, his vision growing narrower and narrower until they were focused on the two of them. That same vision was also turning a very nasty shade of green as jealousy reared its ugly head.

Walking in what he assumed to be a casual speed (but in fact was still too fast to follow with normal eyesight); Kid Flash stationed himself at Jinx's side, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her close. Pretending to be friendly, he put out his hand to be shaken by the newcomer. "Yo. I'm Kid Flash."

The boy studied the red-gloved hand before taking it, and almost crushing it in its awesome strength, one he obviously wasn't aware he was using. "I am Superboy."

Beast Boy, watching the girl with heart-shaped eyes, spoke distractedly. "Any relation to Superman?"

"I am cloned from him."

That got BB's attention. "You're a clone? That's cool."

Superboy grinned in response to Beast Boy's and the two of them were obviously going to be fast friends. The girl stepped forward, seeking Jinx's attention. "Hello, Jinx."

"Ravager. Teen Titans," Jinx called out, drawing Aqualad and Speedy (now clothed) into the room. "Might I introduce Ravager? This is Slade's daughter."

Instantly Speedy drew an arrow and Aqualad clenched his fists, using the physical action to focus his power over the waves that surrounded them. Jinx stepped between the two of them and the girl (who herself wasn't weaponless, having a sword at her back still sheathed). "Simmer down, boys, she's not an enemy."

"She's the daughter an enemy," Speedy replied obstinately, his arrow still at hand.

"So is Jericho, but you like him," she pointed out, and realized belatedly that neither of them knew that. Their concentration had snapped, however, and she used the opportunity to enclose them in bubbles of pink energy, preventing any aggression on their part.

"As a matter of fact, he's my brother," Ravager pointed out with a smile, throwing her hair over her shoulder as she slipped into a seat on the large couch, right next to the still-out-of-it Robin. "What happened to him?"

Kid Flash answered her (since Beast Boy and Superboy were discussing the difference between cloning, which Superboy knew something of, and mitosis, which Beast Boy was capable of), though his attention was still on Jinx. "Jinx kicked his ass."

Ravager seemed surprised. "I thought he was Robin. You know, Boy Wonder? Regularly beat the H.I.V.E. Five?"

Jinx glared as she stepped past Kid Flash, ignoring his sudden movement to grab for her hand. "He is, but I just want to point out that I was being willingly pulled down by the idiocy of my cohorts."

"Slumming?"

"Yes."

Ravager nodded, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, watching as Speedy and Aqualad beat at their bubbles that contained them. "I supposed they want to hear my story now?"

Jinx snapped her fingers even as she sat down opposite her. Speedy and Aqualad fell to the floor with the lapse of containment and took several moments to compose themselves. Kid Flash took a seat by Jinx, and Beast Boy and Superboy continued their conversation quieter near the door.

"Ravager? That's an odd name for so beautiful a woman," Speedy said softly as he took a seat near her, his apparent antagonism over with as he flirted his way into her good graces.

It worked. "You can call me Rose."

"Stop flirting and just get it over with," Jinx moaned as she let herself relax into the ultra-posh cushions.

"Fine," Rose snapped, before smiling a bit at Speedy. "My father is a man named Slade Wilson, who I can only assume you've all heard of?"

Beast Boy, now back in the conversation and curling up on the table as a badger, replied, "Totally! That's Robin's archenemy. He, like, regularly hallucinates the guy."

"Well, that 'guy' is mine and Jericho's father. Though, until recently he didn't know we were still alive."

"Why not?" Kid Flash asked, pretending not to notice that Jinx was doing her best to not come into contact with him in any way.

"There was an incident about five years ago. Dad was going by the name Deathstroke at the time, trying to protect his secret identity, to protect us, his family. He was tutoring at H.I.V.E. academy at the time; Joey and I were attending there."

"Who's Joey?" Speedy asked, leaning close to stare into Rose's eyes (and causing her to blush).

"That's Jericho. His real name is Joseph."

"Oh..." He whispered, still staring (it was a problem of his).

"Anyways, a terrorist group found out about him. His real name, everything. A few years before that, he'd assassinated their old leader, and they were looking for some quick vengeance." The five (conscious) Titans got quiet as the story took on an ominous telling. "They took me and Joey hostage, and tried to lure him to their holdings."

"What happened?" BB asked, now in human form again and laying on his stomach listening intensely.

"Deathstroke doesn't negotiate with terrorists. When he didn't arrive, they slit Joey's throat and stabbed me in the stomach, leaving us for dead."

The nonsensical way she said it took a few minutes to actually penetrate the group's minds, before they all stared wide-eyed at her. It was a gruesome story.

"We were separated when we were taken to get medical help, found by some people on the road. We lost contact with each other. Our Father lost us completely. We'd been taught to never disclose our identities to anyone, especially the government for fear of what they'd do if they found out about him, so we kept our mouths shut and were eventually put in foster care.

"Last month I was watching the news with my foster family when the footage about the Brotherhood of Evil came on," a grin lit up her face, "and I saw my brother for the first time in years. I immediately tried to contact him, and Robin helped me when he verified who I was. I came here to Jump City to meet him."

"And?" Beast Boy and Speedy intoned, hanging on her every word.

Rose frowned, the light dimming just a bit. "He never showed. I met Jinx, though, and she explained. My brother isn't good at all. He's working with my father."

Beast Boy and Speedy both stood to comfort her, enfolding her in their arms with comical looks of adoration on their faces. Aqualad was a bit more resistant to her charms however.

"Do either of you have any proof of this?"

Jinx slid a glance to Kid. "See? No trust."

"You can't blame him for wanting proof, Jinx!"

"I can too."

"Well," Aqualad interrupted, standing and crossing his arms solemnly. "Do you?"

Jinx sighed and stood too. "That's what Farmboy is here for."

"Farmboy?"

Superboy stepped into the room; he'd been staring out the large and impressive windows. "That'd be me."

"What's so important about him?" Kid Flash asked sullenly.

Superboy smiled. "Jericho possessed me and I know the location of the Titan females and the entire plot."

If possible, Kid Flash got even more morose. "So...I guess you are important."

Jinx smiled, pleased with the state of affairs. "Just a bit."


	11. Transformers

**Chapter Eleven: Transformers

* * *

**

While the various Titans made themselves comfortable in the living area, Jinx and Speedy dragged Robin to his room to sleep off the stupor of getting his ass kicked. Speedy was chosen 1) because he knew where the secretive Robin's true lair resided and 2) he'd drawn the short straw. Jinx was there because they all wanted to talk behind her back about what a nutcase she'd become.

Together, they grabbed a foot and proceeded to drag, bang, and slam Robin into every sharp surface between starting point and finish. Jinx found it immensely satisfying. The chip his body took out of the last stair out of the living room would however leave a mark.

It took all of Jinx's strength, and upon reaching Robin's door (thankfully the first one on the personal area level), she released his leg and slumped onto the wall, sighing as she did. With her head bowed, she listened as Speedy jammed the door open and started to heave the (astonishingly) still unconscious Boy Wonder to his bed, though he didn't get that far. Once five feet inside the room, his own strength gave out and he too gave up.

"I think he'll be fine on the floor. Not like this room isn't freakishly clean anyways."

Jinx nodded her head, but kept it braced on her arms. Her headache was receding, thanks mostly to the aspirin Kid Flash had retrieved, but all the effort of bringing Robin up the stairs and down the hall had got it to pounding again. These were the times she hated. When the taint inside her, so easily forgotten, came raging to awareness and she was forced to deal with it.

"Hey...uh...are you okay?"

Jinx glared at the redhead over her arms, letting all that rage at being helpless boil over. "I'm fine. Go back to the living room; I'll be there in a minute."

Speedy nodded, looking very "Robin"-like in his suspicion. "You're not going to whack him are you?"

Jinx laughed out loud. "Whack? Seriously. You just used that word? You've been watching too many Sopranos. I don't whack people."

Speedy nodded, smiling as he acknowledged that yes, indeed, he did love those Italian mobsters. He started to move away, back to the lovely Ravager (or was it...Ravisher? His dreams were becoming mixed up with reality in his mind). Jinx smiled as she called out to his back. "I don't whack people...I kill them. I hate euphemisms."

Ignoring his instincts to go back and stand guard over his best friend, Speedy did something so few others were willing to do. He trusted her to not do anything untoward, and continued to the living area. Jinx was oddly touched by the small act, and contemplated how they'd all feel when they discovered her betrayal.

Jinx may be an ex-villain, but one never forgot the ways of old. It was something she idly thought about as she let herself into Robin's quarters. He lay where he'd been thrown, akimbo beside his bed, looking for the entire world like a pretzel. Jinx sat softly on his bed, picking up the picture of himself and Starfire that was framed beside it. It was a nice picture, taken early in the Titan history. They were still in that "blushing" phase, given the ruddy tones that were present. It was hard to imagine either of them shy, but apparently when this picture was taken it's what they were feeling. No touching, bodies facing away from each other, even if their eyes weren't. The beginnings of love were already there, fresh and new like dew in the morning.

Jinx wondered how Star would feel when she discovered Robin's betrayal.

Sighing, Jinx set the frame down, harder than intended. She nudged Robin's head, checking to see if he was playing dead, or was really unconscious. Apparently, it was the former as he immediately rose up on his elbows and rubbed at a sore spot on his head (the stair).

"Was there any reason why you had to drag me up here?"

Jinx grinned and leaned down to pat his cheek indulgingly. "For effect. Are you ready for phase four?"

He stood, shaking the dust, mortar, and plaster from his clothing (she'd really kicked his ass). "I'm ready if you're ready."

Jinx stood, cracking her neck from the sudden tension that gathered there. "We'll meet at rendezvous point beta, and take plan C into action. Take the necessary supplies."

"Aye, aye, captain," Robin replied, for once happy to bow to her expertise. She'd planned this entire mission herself, with marginal help from him, and he was surprised to learn that she loved planning things out more than he did. For some reason, it made him almost...friendly...towards her.

Jinx sneered and started for the door, pausing as she reached it. "Don't forget to put out the decoy, in case someone thinks I actually murdered you up here."

Robin childishly stuck his tongue out at her back, but still brought down the Robin-like dummy and laid it on the floor.

Thankfully, this mess was almost over.

In hindsight, he might have been overly optimistic about the long-range consequences.

* * *

Downstairs, not far away, and just ten minutes in the past, Kid Flash watched as Jinx maliciously (and so obviously deliciously enjoying) pulled Robin carelessly up the set of stairs that led into the hall. Once she was out of sight, he turned his attention to the Boy of Steel, who was watching as Beast Boy and Aqualad spoke quietly to Ravager, getting more details about her father (who it seems that was a Leo, really had only one eye, was a professional hit man who dabbled in organized crime, and preferred pistachio ice cream to chocolate).

"So, are you thirsty?" Kid asked, oh so politely, using the second between asking and receiving an answer to run to the kitchen and make up a banana smoothie, handing it to the smiling teen hero as he turned to reply that indeed he was. "I thought you might be."

Superboy, no stranger to pissing contests, was ready and raring to go. "Thanks," he started before also taking a second to run (just as fast as Kid Flash) to the kitchen and make his own drink, "but I prefer strawberry."

Kid Flash could only gape. "You're fast?"

Since it was a moot question, Superboy didn't reply, and instead sipped his cold drink contently. This only made Kid Flash angrier.

Baring his teeth in an arrogant smile, Kid Flash leaned back and in a patronizing tone, idly remarked, "But prolly not as fast as me. I'm the fastest boy alive."

"Is that so?" Superboy replied, setting down the drink and standing. With one hand behind his back, he used the other to lift up the entire U-shaped couch four teens and all. "Can you do this?"

Kid Flash grinned (the game is ON!!!). He then proceeded to vibrate himself through the couch and land softly at Superboy's feet. "Can you do that?"

Setting the couch down, Superboy turned his gaze to Raven's meditation candle near the windows. He then used "heat vision" to light the candle. "I can do that?"

"You wanna go, Boy?" Kid Flash asked, tired of playing games.

"Let's go...kid."

The two of them were like snarling pit bulls pulling at the chain, and both Beast Boy and Aqualad weren't entirely averse to taking bets as to who would win (BB had five on Kid, but Lad was no fool and had ten on Superboy) (Ravager wasn't doing the betting thing, mostly because she could hear someone coming and knew this would bear no fruit).

Speedy walked in, nonchalant and cocky as usual, and took in the situation. "Why is it whenever I come in this room, people are fighting or have been fighting and I have no idea why?"

Ravager replied with a dreamy smile. "They're fighting over Jinx."

Kid Flash and Superboy both turned too fast for eyes to follow, replying in unison. "We are not."

"They why are you fighting?" Beast Boy asked, silently putting his money away as the tension slowly receded.

The two teens glanced at each other, before looking away. "We're fighting because..." Neither had a definite answer. They didn't want to admit fighting over a girl, because that's just "juvenile", however there was no other real reason to fight...

...or was there?"

"We're fighting because Stupidboy here thinks he's faster than me," Kid Flash said on a stroke of brilliance.

"I didn't say-" Kid elbowed Superboy in the stomach and gave him a significant look. "Yeah! I am! Let's race!"

The two of them turned, ready to go raring into a full-blown world race, on par with the Mas y Menos vs. Kid Flash media debacle of earlier this year, however, it too was never to happen.

Jinx wandered in, her eyes strangely distant as she went over things in her mind, trying to predict how they're turn out. "Get ready to go, everyone. We're leaving in ten minutes."

Kid speed walked his way to her side, his grudge for Superboy instantly forgotten. "Where we going?"

Jinx smiled, making sure her large pink eyes touched on everyone present at least once. "We're going to retrieve our people. There's no sense in waiting any longer."

Kid nodded. "But what about Robin?"

"Fuck Robin," was her reply.

It was a good answer, so no one bothered to argue the point.


	12. Shazam!

Sorry for the long wait for an update. Certain matters...(cough)...new X-Men story...(cough)...kept me from writing this. However, I'm here now and that's what counts!

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Shazam!

* * *

**

Jinx had assumed after she met Kid Flash and had that whole sordid adventure with him and Madame Rouge that she would be turning over a new leaf. Embarking a new existence as a different person. A good person; lo and behold her new life was remarkably similar to the old.

Small adorable kid making pithy comments that has some sort of odd outward appearance? Check.

Large older teen with many muscles that tends to stand around gaping a lot? Check.

Many extensions that come and go to the team bringing alternately humor, romance, angst, and friendship? Check.

Cute adorable teen oddly-hair-colored girl with flashy style, winning smile, a gorgeous bod and a genius mind? Well, Jinx _was_ the one thinking this after all.

Speaking of, at the moment the pink-schemed teen was currently very not pink. Black face, black clothes, dully painted equipment makes for a very shadow-like metahuman. Add to the creepy factor? She was walking up the side of a large warehouse.

Realistically, Kid Flash knew she was only capable of doing it because she was using her powers to alter the gravity that was directly beneath her, therefore causing her to slowly rise into the air and to the roof. However, did she have to pantomime walking as she did so?

With Beast Boy at her side and Superboy already on the roof (stupid bugger could fly), Jinx was already fast getting to her destination, though just what the roof had to do with entering the building, he couldn't tell you. After quickly deciding to get a jump start on tracking down Slade and the Titan females, Jinx had commandeered leadership and given them a destination. Kid Flash had known, intellectually, that Superboy supposedly knew the location they needed to be at, but realistically he hadn't realized it was so close.

It was the old H.I.V.E. school, the one that Cyborg had infiltrated and helped to destroy. There was still a gaping hole in one of the walls where the battle had taken out a chunk. It looked old, decrepit, and nowhere near safe enough for anyone to be walking near it, let alone into it.

Despite her complete ability to take care of herself, Kid Flash worried about Jinx and idly wondered how long it would take for him to rescue her if the building were to collapse. Then he also idly wondered if it said something about his emotional attachment to her that he didn't even wonder about saving the innocent people maybe inside the building.

Kid Flash could only shrug the thought off as he focused on the building in his sight. Their plan was hastily made and could fall apart easily. They were all mostly playing it by ear, which was something Jinx most certainly did not care to do. Which made him wonder, the girl who loves to plan was suddenly going in without one?

Then, like a flash of light (something he was very well acquainted with), Kid Flash had a thought. Such a strange thought indeed, that he was literally frozen to the spot as he struggled to work it out.

As he stood there thinking, Speedy slipped to his side. "Isn't it time we snuck to the wall and waited for the signal to enter?"

"It's a trap."

Speedy, expected an affirmative if not some pithy joke, looked at Kid Flash, away for a split second, then back at Kid Flash. "Huh?"

"Think about it. The strange behavior, the new people, not wanting Robin here with us, she's trapping us."

Speedy gripped Kid's arm, well aware of how serious he was being. "You're accusing your girlfriend of betraying us?"

It wasn't what he wanted to do, and as her boyfriend he wasn't happy, but it's what the facts were telling him. Jinx, the only Titan girl not taken, knows what the plan is, who the bad guy is, and where the big scheme is going down? Too many coincidences. "Yes."

Unfortunately for the two boys, they'd forgotten about the last member of their little raiding party. They forgot about her, that is, until she slid the shiny metal of her swords right under their necks.

Ravager, no longer the pretty blonde with a shy smile, glared at them through her mask. A mask which covered the upper half of her face and was identical to Slade's. Funny how they hadn't noticed that little fact; funny how normally two of the best teen heroes on the planet, trained by the best, got 'bested' by a girl.

Her grin was devious as she gently tapped the cool steel against their chins. "Clever, clever, boys. Start walking."

Hands in the air, weapons out of reach, knife figuratively in their backs, the two of them started walking as told. "Why are you doing this?"

Ravager smiled. "Because we could."

A large booming voice echoed out of the darkness before them, chiding in his deep gravelly tone. "Do not tease the boys, Rose." Just like that, the situation became three times worse. Deathstroke, Slade Wilson, Ravager and Jericho's daddy, stepped from those shadows and unconsciously both Speedy and Kid Flash swallowed a large dose of fear and tried to think of a way to run away without looking like babies. Slade wasn't done speaking, however. "The reason why I'm doing this is quite simple, young men. Children do not belong in costumes. They do not belong here trying to protect humanity."

"So you're saying, you've kidnapped us because you don't want us to be heroes?" Speedy asked, "how does that help you?"

"It doesn't," Slade said, stepping closer and pushing his daughter's sword from Speedy's neck. "However, when I kill you and spill your body on the City Council's steps, they'll see how serious I am about this matter."

Speedy stared at the mask of Slade, just inches away. "Could you...not...do that?"

Kid Flash barked out a laugh, "'Cause that would suck."

Slade laughed and stepped back into the warehouse/school behind him. "Enter, children."

Inside, several figures could be clearly seen struggling against various restraints. Starfire, Raven, Argent, and Pantha could be clearly seen, and several others lay behind them. Kid Flash again ran to them, assuring himself of their health before returning to Speedy's side, all within seconds. It's not really a smart thing to try and contain someone who can move faster than you can think.

"We'll not stand for this, Slade," Kid Flash said in a cocky voice, pointing at Slade with the nerve of only the self-righteous.

"You don't have to, Kid Flash," Slade replied, pointing an odd looking gun at him and firing. A strange gum-like substance hit Kid Flash with the force of a wrecking ball, sending him slamming back into the wall and making the entire building shudder.

Kid Flash said several words not approved for PG-rating.

He could not run. He could not move at all. He took out his anger on Slade.

"Who are you gonna kill first? Me? Speedy? It won't work. You can never stop us. We're Teen Titans. We're every where and we don't give up."

"I don't need to take down the Teen Titans, Kid Flash," Slade said snidely, "one of your own already has."

Kid glared and spit on the ground at Slade's feet (quite a feat from ten feet away). "I already know."

The evil madman gripped Kid by the famous orange hair and dragged him up by the hair. "Do you really?"

A muffled scream and a loud thump seemed to make the silence of the place even more silent. Slowly, a horrible dragging sound started to come towards them and Kid Flash tensed, ready to get out of this cocoon any way he had to.

Slade held out his hand to the shadows, welcoming the newest reveler in this party. "Might I introduce, my apprentice?"

There, just at the edge of the light...

Robin, in full apprentice mode dragged Jinx by the scruff of her shirt. "Hey, guys."

"You're not Jinx."

Slade laughed, dropping Kid to the ground. "Why is it that there's so little trust going around these days?"

Robin laughed as well. "Jinx would never betray the Teen Titans. You really need to learn a little trust, Kid. Before it's too late-...wait...ha! It already is."


	13. Josie and the Pussycats

A/N: Strawberry-flavored malt balls are good. Ha! I just said balls are good.

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**Chapter Thirteen: Josie and the Pussycats

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**

When Kid Flash and Speedy overcame their own shock and awe that twisted this story beyond the breaking point, they like the Titan Girls were tied up and gagged. They watched as Slade paced them before them, with Ravager and Robin watching. Oddly enough, Jinx had not been tied up and remained unconscious near Robin's feet.

Kid Flash struggled to remain still, very much aware that the metal laced ropes that bound him had been magnetically tuned to a frequency which prevented him from vibrating his molecules through. It was a pricey procedure, but obviously Slade believed in planning ahead.

Something didn't feel right, about the situation, about the kidnappings, about Jinx, and definitely about Robin. Kid Flash had known, in his gut, that something was going on behind the scenes of the entire situation, but he'd been so distracted by the thoughts of Jinx and Superboy that he'd let his heart rule out his head. The Flash would not approve.

Speaking of, Superboy and Aqualad had been up on the roof with Jinx. Where were they? Had Robin taken them both down when he'd taken out Jinx, or had they gotten away? Where they even now seeking out other Titans to rescue them all?

Hope and desperation aside, Kid Flash found himself most preoccupied with his guilt. Why had he thought that Jinx would turn to evil again? She'd not given any signs of it. Sure, signs of a discontented girlfriend, but it was to be expected; he wasn't what one would call a model boyfriend. In fact, he was pretty sure he sucked at it. Could he help it if the sight of a pretty girl had him slathering and on his knees? What mattered most was that he came home to Jinx, didn't it?

Slade stopped his pacing and stood at attention before the small crowd of Titans. Most of the girls were awake, excusing the few that would certainly be too powerful to remain tied up for long. Both Starfire and Raven were out, as well as Pantha. Everyone else was awake, be it a bit out of it. Both Argent and Bumblebee looked roughed up, but other than that the girls all seemed fine.

"You wonder why I've done this. I can see it in your eyes. As cliché as it is for me to simply explain my plan to you, a tactic that might lead to my downfall, I want you to understand. It's important that my motives are clear," Slade reiterated as he wrapped an arm around Robin, bringing him to his side with what can only be described as an affectionate tug. "This isn't Robin, not really. Joey, please shed that distasteful armament."

Then, as if by magic, Robin slumped to the floor and Jericho in all his hippie-glory stood there smiling. Hard to forget the teen, given his wide eyes and utter silence and none had even thought he could be "bad", no matter what Jinx had told them. However, the proof was in the pudding, more specifically, this puddle of crap they'd all stepped in.

Slade continued to speak, "I figured Robin would be better for subduing you than Jinx, since you all were so obviously expecting her to be the traitor. I admit, when Joey first approached me for a meeting, I was skeptical. My son, a Teen Titan, wants to team up with me?" Slade smiled, though they could only see half of it what with his damn mask. "Then Rose joined him, and I didn't doubt any longer. You all are merely icing on the cake."

Slade started to pace again, sparing a few glances for his son and daughter, now standing together, hands clasped as they watched. "They slit his throat, you know."

Kid Flash began to struggle, just a bit with the rope behind his back, trying to work his hands loose. If he was going down, it wouldn't be without a fight. He had to keep Slade talking, at least until he could free his hands, and save the day! "Who?"

Slade glared at Kid. "Joey's. The terrorists kidnapped him and his sister, and slit his throat. They left him for dead. One of the few good things I ever did for the world, and it causes me to lose my family for years."

Kid stopped in his struggles to snort out his amusement (note to future teen heroes, find amusement where you can because it sure as hell ain't gonna find you). "Didn't you get paid to do that?"

"Does that make my efforts any less heroic?"

"Yes."

"Regardless, I rid the world of one of the most dangerous terrorists to walk it. I find it one of the few virtuous things on my moral record."

Kid Flash interrupted Slade's nostalgic ranting with another snarky smile. "I think the hypocrisy of it cancels out the good of it. Also, heroes don't kill."

"The hypocrisy?" Slade asked, the one eye clearly visible shaking with rage.

Kid grinned, one of his hands slipping out of the rope unseen by everyone. "Yeah, kind of ironic actually. A terrorist killing another terrorist for the sake of the world? Ha!"

Slade stepped forward, intent on beating the young speedster into submission when Jericho stepped forward, his hand stopping the intended violence. Slade stared into his son's eyes and shrugged.

Jericho, neé Joey, stepped away and stared down at Jinx. Kneeling, he peeled open her eyes and without a sound became intangible, slipping into control of her body within seconds. When Jinx stood to stare down at her teammates, her eyes were no longer brilliantly pink, but rather an odd shade of blue. Jericho's shade of blue.

It had been so easy to miss, when Jericho had control over Robin. The blue eyes hadn't been a dead give-away because Robin had blue eyes. However, Jinx didn't and the possession was easily seen; the odd way her movements took on a masculine inclination, the way she held her body. None of it was the way she normally would. No wonder Jericho usually possessed boys; he couldn't pull it off as a female no matter how effeminate he was in his own body.

"It was my idea to take you," Jericho said in Jinx's voice, so oddly spoken without the hint of an accent that usually traced it. "It was simple really. Take the most famous teenagers in the world, offer their lives on a silver plate to my father, and reunite to become the most powerful and dangerous family on the Earth. No one would stand before us."

Jericho walked back to Ravager, taking her hand in his own (Jinx's own). "We would lay the trap with ease, Titans are so trusting. Jinx and Robin were unanticipated. It wasn't a factor that they might join together and figure out what was going on long before they were supposed to. That they would in turn concoct their own plan to unravel everything."

Kid Flash eased closer to Speedy, using the small seconds between glances from Slade and Jericho to work on Speedy's ropes. It took him two seconds to free Speedy, but five to make the idiot realize he was free and not to make a scene.

It took another ten seconds for him to free the other Titans in the room. By then, Jericho had turned back and started to speak again. "It was unexpected, but not tantamount to destroying the mission. We adjusted and continued."

Kid Flash found it incredibly creepy for his girlfriend to be calmly explaining how the Wilson family was going to take over the underworld, but was comforted by the thought that it wasn't really his girlfriend at all. Still, he delayed the inevitable fight for as long as he could. "What mission? I mean, besides kidnapping us and boring us to death?"

Jericho laughed and took his place at his father's side. "Father, would you like to explain?"

"Indeed," Slade acquiesced, stopping his infernal pacing to stand before them almost serenely. "In the beginning, I tried to move past what happened to my family. I returned to my work, assassinating many people the world over, but something was missing. I had no one to whom leave my legacy. I believed Joey and Rose perished. Thus, I became infatuated with the idea of an apprentice." Slade gestured to the unconscious Robin. "He was the first of many, all much talented youngsters with great promise. None of them met my expectations however. I decided, then and there, that they could not meet my expectations because no young person could. Joseph's ordeal and my own entreaties with you all convinced me once and for all that children do not belong in this life."

Jericho stepped forward, swinging Jinx's head in a nod. "Even I can see the logic of that statement. I didn't want to be a crime-fighter or a villain. All I ever wanted was to be left alone. Alas..."

Speedy leaned over and whispered conspiratorially, "They're so poetic. Must be a family thing."

Kid Flash nodded and kept his eyes on Jericho/Jinx. If need be, he'd fight her, but only until Jericho fled her body. He'd never intentionally hurt her (though the idea of getting her back for that one-two punch she knocked him on his ass with was enticing). "Let's sum up," Kid Flash snarked at them, "Joey betrayed the Titans, got back with Pops, lured us all here, and now you're planning to kill us? Is that the gist?"

Jericho nodded, stepping close to place one Jinx-scented hand on Kid's face, patting it so softly. "Clever, clever boy. Since you're so smart, why don't you tell me what I'm going to do next?"

Slade smirked and stood back behind his son, content to let him take the first steps, starting with the evisceration of the boy speedster.

Kid Flash smiled and told Jericho to go do something 1) not anatomically possible and 2) not PG-material.

Jericho let his head fall back and laughed in that so delightfully sexy Jinx-laugh. Then with a small twirl (letting his femininity shine through again) he turned back to Dad. "Nope, not that. I'm just going to stand here and say a little something." Jericho stood there, in Jinx's body and grinned that cheshire-grin that always meant she was up to something. Then, he opened her mouth and threw her arms wide, letting her/his yell echo up to the rafters.

"Teen Titans Go!"


	14. Dungeons and Dragons

**Chapter Fourteen: Dungeons and Dragons**

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**

With the battle cry echoing in the sparse rafters, the Titans, all the Titans, sprung into action. Those that could fly immediately took to the air, using their height to their advantage as they surrounded and kept Slade in their sights. Those that could project energy proceeded to do so, forcing Slade to move to stay on his feet.

The key, Robin realized long ago, to capturing and keeping Slade was surprising him, not an entirely possible feat. Slade was a highly organized mind, one on par with Robin and Batman. A trio of minds equal in cleverness, anal-ness, and duplicity. Whereas for years Robin has been facing Slade as a polar opposite, in morality and genius, it took a serious talk with Jinx about Slade to realize that, as Slade had said so long ago, they were not opposites. Robin and Slade were very much alike.

To take down Slade, Robin had to devise a plan to take down _himself_. By extension, a plan to take down Batman. In truth, Robin didn't have to devise a plan at all. Batman, the ultimate in paranoid, had several plans for taking Robin and himself down all tucked away in the Batcave. The trick was getting to that knowledge without getting caught.

It wasn't hard to get, it was hard to keep. Robin had used the last month as an excuse to stay away from Gotham. He'd let Jinx and Jericho start and play out most of the plan. Batman couldn't know that Robin had usurped his back-up plans. Deathstroke, aka Slade, was as much Bat's enemy as he was Robin.

Robin was prideful enough to want this capture to be his and his alone. Well, figuratively at least; it would be the Titans' capture. One destined to push them out of their adult mentor's shadows and into the limelight as a group of Heroes on their own. No more "Justice League Lite" jokes. No more head pats and candy.

Robin stood to his feet, thinking all that while he watched his teammates execute planned maneuvers in perfect harmony. Most of them knew what was going on, had had some idea of it since before a month ago. The few that didn't had been told for necessary reasons.

Jinx grabbed Kid's arm, pulling him from his shocked gaze and to his feet, trying to get him to move lest he get hit by a stray Starbolt from Starfire. "Move, Kid Flash!"

"Jinx? Um...I don't want to sound slow, but what's going on?" He asked as he pulled her out of the way of a stray electric 'sting' of Bumblebee's. They ducked behind the crumbling remains of a wall and watched the action unfolding. The sight of tenor so Titans going at it with one man, albeit a very talented, very tricky hit man, was a sight to behold.

"We're trying to take down the most dangerous man in the world."

"You're not evil?"

"Nope."

"Jericho isn't evil?"

"Nope."

"Robin isn't-"

"Nope!"

Kid Flash nodded slowly, watching everything with narrowed eyes. "Okay," he said softly, brushing a heartbeat of a kiss on her cheek before speeding his way into battle to help out. Jinx smiled (and blushed) and followed him.

Speedy notched his arrows and let them fly, watching in amazement as Slade ducked and jumped, avoiding the arrows, starbolts, soulself, beestings, and every other magically and practically produced projectile. It was like watching a flower bloom, impossible yet still tangible.

It only proved just how much Slade had been holding back with them that he could take this attack and still hold strong. With projectiles of his own, Slade took down Pantha, Bumblebee, and Argent within the first few seconds of the fight.

Swinging onto some wire of the foundation arcing across the ceiling, Slade slammed feet first into Raven, sending her spirally to the floor (yet safely into Beast Boy's arms), before using the momentum to parry back and onto Starfire's back. Still in midblast, He threw off her aim just enough to send several bolts into ground at Kid Flash's speeding feet.

Their numbers were dwindling, and this fight had to end soon.

Thus was the conundrum of capturing Slade Wilson. A man so talented in fighting that to send too few is a suicide mission, yet too many can feel fool-hardy. Robin, however, had planned for such an occurrence, the only deviation he'd made from Batman's made-to-order scenario.

Even as Kid Flash started to run, so fast as to create a fog of the dust and dirt in the room, reinforcements had arrived.

"Somebody call for a little light?" Cyborg asked with a cheesy grin as he aimed his sonic boom gun at Slade, who'd landed softly on his feet after taking out five, yep, count it, FIVE of the Titans facing him.

At his sides, Superboy and Aqualad both looked ready to rumble, and below him Mas y Menos looked...adorable as usual but vaguely threatening in a chibi-like way. Even as they took a "battle stance", Herald created a portal behind them, dropping from above with Kid Devil and Red X at his sides. They once again outnumbered Slade (at least from a tactical standpoint).

Robin stood at Jinx's side, watching as the five new players entered the game and the plan came full circle. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. Do you think it'll hold him?"

Robin shrugged. "For all his skill, he's only human."

She nodded and stepped back, needing ample room to perform this latest trick up their sleeves. Whereas most of the new arrivals immediately started to parry attacks with Slade, Herald came immediately to Jinx's side. They didn't speak; instead she stepped into his arms, spooning her back to his front as she began to concentrate.

Pink energy started at her fingertips, sliding into her hands and up her arms. Herald placed his horn in front of her face, aware that she could not touch it with her hands, not when channeling this much power lest it dissolve the instrument. They had bare minutes to get this done.

Cyborg blasted sound and energy at Slade, an unwieldy weapon incapable of bending that easily was dodged and did more damage to the building. Aqualad flooded the ground with water, causing Slade to lose traction, but also causing everyone else to. Mas y Menos couldn't run on it, but they were no Kid Flash. He still ran to and fro, trying to get close to Slade.

Pulling a small device from a hidden pouch, Slade jumped high enough to grab a wire and let it fall. As soon as it hit the water, anyone in it or near was electrocuted, sending quite a few into a stupor. Aqualad and Cyborg in particular were hit hard.

A small electromagnetic pulse Slade kept handy dissolved the electricity, letting him safely land on the ground again. Before he could get his feet under him, his own daughter Rose was at his throat with a sword. She was easily parried having nowhere near the experience as he, but it was more emotional damage that physical.

He'd hoped for many things, out of this. To have his family with him again, to protect them from all things bad in the world as he never had been able to do before. Instead, his daughter sought to cut the tongue from his mouth and his son went from body to body, using their unconscious forms to battle him. Even now, Pantha rose again and with eyes bright blue began to lift heavy rubble and throw it at him.

"Give up now, Father. We want only for you to stop hurting people."

"You're a child," Slade said through grinding teeth. "You know nothing of pain."

"You think so, Father? I cannot speak. They tried to kill me. I know more of pain than most."

"You are a disgrace, Joey." Slade responded softly, using his own hidden sword to block Rose's advances, even while he tried to plan a way out in style.

He never should have come in person. Indeed, in any other situation, he wouldn't have. These were his children, however, and he'd wanted to reunite with them in the flesh. To know and sense their presence again would have made his bitter soul happy.

It was not to be.

Slamming the butt of his sword into Rose's blinding white hair, a mirror of his own, he sent her sprawling to the floor. He looked right at Jericho/Pantha as he spoke. "I have no children."

"So be it, Slade," Jericho responded, sliding from Pantha's body and becoming corporeal in his own.

Even as Slade readied to make his exit (he'd slowly made his way to the large broken outer wall, the only safe way to enter and exit), Jinx and Herald made their move. Together, with Jinx holding the horn within a bright pink energy and he blowing into it, they created a large pink portal just behind Slade.

Working in sync, Superboy and Kid Flash ran at Slade, knowing an opportunity when they see it. They pushed him into it, not following him in by the grace of God and Jinx, who closed the portal just before they could.

The Titans, suddenly, mercifully without an enemy for the moment, watching as if through a window as Slade began to tumble head over end into a large dimension, seemingly filled with clouds. Jinx smiled and broke the silence. "Welcome to the Phantom Zone, Slade."

It took a few seconds for their bodies to realize it was over, so overwrought with tension and adrenaline. When they did, several of the teens had to slide to the floor and sit for sheer exhaustion of it.

For all their battles and their losses, the Teen Titans had never truly battle such an opponent as Slade, not at full potential at least. The villains they face were usually of a lighter persuasion, nowhere near as deadly and dangerous as those that adult Heroes faced.

This was a turning point for them. No more "kiddie villains" for them. The Teen Titans were grown up, so to speak, and ready to make a real mark on the world.

Kid Flash, still standing there and watching Slade through the window, noted quietly to himself, "I don't know what just happened, but it was awesome."


	15. Teen Titans

Sorry for the delay in this last chapter. Real life stuff kept getting in the way, HOWEVER, I'm back with this FINALE that I hope answers the rest of your questions.

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**Chapter Fifteen: Teen Titans

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**

The view from Titan Tower had always been beautiful, but today Kid Flash just didn't (ironically) have the time to appreciate it. He was too busy trying to find the ground under his feet as the Titans milled around in an amiable crowd, discussing how the 'plan' had gone down.

Between Raven and Kid Devil flirting while Beast Boy glared, and Starfire gleefully offering to make the "Klar-goff" the pudding of return, Kid Flash didn't know which way to go. Superboy, Jericho, and Ravager stood off to themselves on the side, having a quiet conversation that echoed just enough to be clear that Superboy and Ravager didn't intend to stay with the Titans, not that they'd been invited yet. Cyborg and Herald were just to Kid's left, discussing the exact science that opening a portal into the Phantom Zone required, and to Kid's right, Argent and Red X stared one another down in a cool-eyed showdown (or so Kid assumed, given that he could no more see Red X's eyes that he could Robin's).

Pantha had returned to her home territory, escorted by Bumblebee and Aqualad, both of whom had been "in on it".

In fact, looking around, it seemed the only ones not "in on" whatever the hell that just went down were Kid Flash and Speedy. Even as Kid started to search out a familiar shade of pink in the crowd, he felt a tug at his hand.

Mas y Menos grinned and started to pull Kid toward the stairs. He had little else to do but play tag with the younger teens so he followed. With a burst of speed, they deposited him outside the Titan Conference Room on the third level, disappearing just as quickly as they'd dragged him there. They were back in seconds with Speedy, who looked equally as confused.

"Robin necesito sale tu," the two boys said in tandem before clasping hands and leaving again. Kid and Speedy shrugged, neither knew Spanish. The implication was that they were to enter the room before them, hopefully to get some answers.

Inside, Robin sat the computer, typing a missive to be sent to the Justice League, informing them of Slade's capture and imprisonment. Almost certainly, some members would have something to say about the risky venture (coughBatman and Superman cough), but Robin didn't care. The fact that the plan had succeeded was clouding his judgment of reality...in other words, he was riding high off the victory and felt almost like nothing could touch him now.

"Sit down," Robin called over his shoulder, finishing up the letter and sending it out. He knew the two Titans would do as he said without checking. "I'm guessing you have questions to ask."

Speedy nodded, "Like what the hell has been going on."

Robin stood, bracing his hands behind his back as he stood before two of his best friends, both of whom he'd kept secrets from for the last couple of months. "As you're aware, four months ago Slade slipped out of sight. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, and we'd pass it off as a brief respite. I couldn't let go how sudden his disappearance was, so I started looking around. I," Robin continued with a small chuckle, "became a bit preoccupied with finding him." It was common knowledge that Robin tended to obsess over things like this. "I'd all but lost my mind when Kid here brought up the subject of possibly bringing Jinx over to our side of things."

"Jinx?" Kid asked, his attention immediately diverted. "What's this got to do with her?"

Robin smiled, "Didn't you ever wonder why I never mentioned Jinx becoming a Titan to anyone else before the battle with the Brotherhood?"

"Not really."

Robin sighed disappointedly. "Jinx's betraying the H.I.V.E. Five gave me an idea, which quickly became a full-blown plan. It's all about betrayal, see. Not one, but both of Slade's children were on the right side of the law, though he didn't know it. Jericho asked me to keep his parentage a secret because he didn't feel it was a concern. Out of respect, I did. Then it occurred to me; what better way to get Slade to show himself than with some bait? Why wait for him to move when we can force him to?"

"You used Jericho as bait?" Speedy asked.

"I would have, with his permission, but he had his sister to think about too. We'd just located Ravager in the Midwest, and he wanted to make sure he'd be able to protect her from Slade, no matter what. He couldn't protect Ravager and be the bait. Instead I used the Titan girls as bait," Robin explained, "but Jericho was the conduit. Just seeing his children alive and well again would not be motive enough for Slade to return, especially given whose side they were on. He'd immediately sense a trap and would delay the meeting indefinitely, until it could be done on his terms. This is where Jinx comes in. Since she only recently came over to the right side of the equation, it was easy to use her as a liaison. She knew Slade and he knew her, but he didn't know of her new allegiance. It was-" he paused, grinning and sighing softly, "difficult to say the least to convince her, and it was a gamble. There was no way of knowing if she was really in this to change, or if it was a trap of her own. Either way, I had to trust her. Luckily, I wasn't wrong."

"...you convinced my new girlfriend to go back to being bad?"

"Just pretend."

Kid Flash threw a crumpled up wad of paper he'd just made in his fist at Robin's head. "...you convinced my new girlfriend to pretend to be bad, knowing how hard I worked to get her to join us?"

"Yep. She did a good job too. With her leading the way, she and Jericho convinced Slade that their motives were well and truly bad. That was about two months ago. It was actually Slade's idea to kidnap Titans. Originally, he wanted to take the original Five of us, starting with me. Jinx convinced him that was a bad course of action, we were too well trained. However, just after we took down the Brotherhood, she contacted him again, clueing him into the fact that we were going to be split up, forced to mingle team-wise with people we don't normally team with. Therefore, the teams would be easier beaten."

"Why only the girls?"

"That wasn't in the plan either," Robin answered Speedy's question, now pacing restlessly as his mind slid through all the angles of the plan. "That was also Jinx's idea. The girls are better actors than the guys, so we sent the guys off to Steel City and kept the girls in plain sight, even calling in some of our more far-flung Titans like Argent and Pantha."

Kid cautiously raised his hand. "Um...but why?"

"But why what?"

"Why did the girls need to act?"

"Oh," Robin started to explain, realizing he'd skipped over a couple things, "we had to give Slade complete access to all Titan security and files. That included camera tapes and personal logs. For the past month, every second of every day, the girls had to act as if they knew nothing of this plan, and at first they didn't. When it became close enough to D-day that Jericho and Jinx were to start imprisoning the girls, they were told just enough to make it clear that they had to let themselves be taken, not without a fight, but they couldn't escape either." Robin grinned. "I'm told Argent kicked Jericho in a sensitive spot before letting herself get possessed. As it was, Argent and Pantha were taken the second week, Starfire and Raven were taken the third, and Bumblebee the fourth, roughly a week before we returned. That's where the plan hit a bump."

"When Superboy and Jinx fought," Kid supplied, still quite clearly seeing the awesome power that Jinx could call down when angry.

"When a Jericho-possessed Superboy tried to capture Jinx, which wasn't in the plan," Robin corrected. "Turns out, Slade doesn't trust Jinx either and tried to use Superboy to capture her as well. He didn't know she'd become a Titan, but he knew she wasn't with the H.I.V.E. Five anymore, which made him suspicious. Suspicious enough that he delayed joining Jericho with the Titan Girls until last night. Problem is, by then we were back in town. I was supposed to meet Jinx here, out of sight to discuss where and when, but with her out of commission I was left with no choice but to...go back to Gotham and talk to Batgirl." Robin said that last line through grinding teeth, still not pleased that he'd been forced onto home-territory, where his plans could easily have been discovered and wrecked.

"What's Batgirl got to do with this?"

"Nothing, really. She keeps tabs on me for Batman. She knew I'd taken one of Batman's Plan B's, but kept it to herself. I knew I could trust her to tell me what she knew. I couldn't be in contact with Jinx or Jericho for the entire month, and with her not meeting me I wasn't sure what had happened, or if the plan had failed."

Speedy grinned, "So why did she attack you?"

Robin cracked his still aching neck. "She needed to bring in Superboy and Ravager, and get me alone so I could find out what the plan was."

"You let Jinx take point?" Speedy asked incredulously, well aware that Robin liked to be the boss in any and all missions.

"It was difficult to release control, but she insisted. It was the only way to get her to cooperate. Once she told me where we were entering the holding location and how we were to approach, it was simple enough to follow through. I met Jericho Rendezvous Site Beta, the base of the Jump City Bridge. Plan A and B were out of the question, since Slade had tried to capture Jinx, so only Plan C was left, I go in possessed by Jericho putting me in the optimum placement to launch the attack."

Kid slowly slammed his head on the conference table. "Dude, how long have you been planning this?"

"Two months and some change, why?"

"You're like obsessive compulsive or something. You've got back up plans for back up plans, and back-up sites and hidden agendas out your ass! I'm quite frankly a little frightened of you," Kid said through his arms as he covered his poor aching head, struggling to make sense of all that had just been explained. Times like this a guy needed a visual aid full of pretty pictures.

Since he knew what happened from when Robin entered the building and they captured Slade, he tried to simplify the oh-so-complicated plot of before. "So," Kid started, "basically, you sent Jinx undercover to lure Slade out with the promise of young nubile Titan Girls to sacrifice, Slade got paranoid, and in a fit of back-up drama, Jinx informed you that something went wrong and you went to a new plan that included sending Slade to another plane of existence usually monitored and controlled by Superman? This explains why Superboy was here, by the way. Basically...you lied and manipulated everyone around you so you could move them like chess pieces!"

Robin blushed. "Not entirely."

"What's not entire about it?"

"We informed everyone else within a certain timeframe; we didn't tell you two until now."

Kid raised his head up enough to glare at Robin with Speedy. Together, they asked, "Why just us?"

Robin grinned, throwing his hands up in the air. "Honestly, you two just can't keep a secret. I mean, come on! We knew Speedy was dating Cheshire practically before he did!"

"I am not dating Cheshire!"

"Oh, you are. You accidentally sent an email meant for her to your entire address book, and believe me, we do not need to see that kind of perversity. You're a sick, sick boy."

Speedy grinned. "So maybe I am dating Cheshire."

"You damn well better be considering the things you two talk about," Robin muttered, messing with some papers on the table before him. "It was a unanimous decision. We didn't think either of you would be able to keep this to yourselves, so we kept it from you. It worked; Slade didn't suspect any of us knew that he was setting us up for an ambush. He also didn't work out that we were setting him up for one. The plan was a success."

Kid Flash supposed it was, and held no grudge against Robin or the rest of the Titans. To take down a mega-villain like Slade, decisions like this had to be made.

He still felt betrayed.

He stood, grinning tensely at Robin before turning to leave. Robin's voice followed him out the door. "Jinx is on the roof, she wanted me to ask you to come see her."

Kid paused at the door but kept walking. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to see her right now. Despite all that had gone on, he knew that Jinx wasn't as accomplished an actress as Robin seemed to think. Jinx's pattern of lying was easy to believe because she based it all on truth. Sure, twisted to suit her needs, but truth nonetheless.

Knowing her as he did, it meant that much of what'd she told him these last couple of days was true. She did have a brain tumor; he'd seen the medical records to prove it. She really had been angry at Robin; though the reasons for that anger were more apparently directed at Slade but taken out on Robin (she'd also very clearly enjoyed it). She'd also meant to break his jaw, enjoying that as well.

More important than all that, he'd been looking into her eyes when she said she didn't trust him, and knew that she'd meant it.

More than anything else, that had hurt him and stuck with him.

So, reflecting upon the day before and today, the capture of Slade, the return of friends, and the loss of love, Kid Flash wasn't sure he was up to any conversation with Jinx. Not right now, at least.

Fortunately for him, while his thoughts worked through that little decision, his body had taken the choice from him; he'd walked into the elevator and even now could see her sitting on the edge of the roof, her hair down for once and slowly drifting on the wind.

"I know you're there, you might as well come sit with me," she said over her shoulder, patting a spot just to her right.

He did so, but he didn't respond, instead leaning back and gazing out over the water to the City.

"You're mad at me for not telling you."

No response.

"Well, I'm mad at you too."

"What'd I do?"

"You never told me about Linda, for one."

"You said you knew!"

Jinx glared at him. "I lied."

"You've been getting plenty of practice at that lately."

"I'd like to point out that this is all Robin's fault. I wasn't even a Titan when he got me involved."

"You should've told me, Jinx."

"I didn't have a choice, Wally."

He nodded, not looking at her. "You really don't trust me."

"It's not that-"

"It is, Jinx. I know how all my friends see me. The flake who flirts with everything that walks. Undependable, gossipy, apparently untrustworthy too."

"We don't think that, Wally," Jinx stressed, taking his hand in her's.

She'd touched him, he thought to himself, of her own free-will. He'd spent the last months chasing after Jinx, consumed by her. Most likely on the scale of Robin's obsession with Slade, he'd pursued her. Always the one to compromise, to take steps to deepen their bond.

Why hadn't he ever realized that many of the steps he'd taken she hadn't reciprocated?

Kid removed his hand from her's, standing cautiously and looking down into her large pink eyes. "It's been a rough few days; I'll talk to you later."

Jinx watched him start to walk away. "What can I do to prove that I do trust you? That this was all some fluke of a bad plan?"

He paused. "We...we'll just have to work on it, Jinx?" Innocuous words that gave a deeper meaning. He was hurt by her lack of telling him her secrets, she was mad at him for not accepting her mysterious nature for what it was; insecurity. There was a glint in his eyes as he turned away that made Jinx smile again. For a few seconds, Jinx saw the fun Kid Flash she'd fallen in love with, and she knew just how to reach him, how to make it all worth it.

"Kid?"

He turned to gaze at her questioningly.

"My name. My name is Jayashri. I'd like it if you'd use it."

He smiled the first real smile she'd seen for many hours. It brightened the entire day for her, making the wind seem softer and sweeter, and the exhaustion that deadened her limbs lift for a few seconds.

Just maybe they'd be alright after all.

* * *

The END

* * *

For those interested, Jinx's first name means "Goddess of Victory" in Sanskrit/Indian. I was going to go for a luck-like meaning, but decided against it. 


End file.
